


I'm Going to Hell, Said the Atheist

by in_motu_proprio



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Alcoholic Tony Stark, Bottom Tony Stark, Consensual Underage Sex, Drunk Sex, Dry Humping, First Time, Frottage, Guilt, Jealous Tony Stark, M/M, Mentor/Protégé, Older Man/Younger Man, Pining, Pushy Harry, Rimming, Sexual Harassment, Tony Feels, Top Peter Parker, handjob, safe sex
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-06
Updated: 2018-03-11
Packaged: 2018-11-28 18:01:34
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 34
Words: 51,394
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11423229
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/in_motu_proprio/pseuds/in_motu_proprio
Summary: Peter admires Tony, Tony's been keeping an eye on Peter.  This is what happens when that grows into mentorship and beyond.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This will be explicit at some point, though not for awhile. I began writing this shortly after Civil War, so I'm sure Homecoming is going to Joss a bunch of this. Still, fun to write.

The first time the kid showed up at Avengers Tower, Tony wasn’t around. Friday had gotten him taken care of; medical care, food, and a place to crash. It was in her protocol to offer safe haven to any Super that came there asking for help. It didn’t happen often, but he did put the word out quietly that Avengers Tower was a safe space. The fact that he had programmed it in didn’t mean that he remembered! That was why, when Tony walked through the common area, he hadn’t been expecting the kid. It was hard to surprise Tony Stark, but finding Peter Parker shirtless and bruised on his couch did it. “… didn’t know I was running a home for wayward boys,” Tony said as he approached. Peter turned, showing off an impressive bruise on his cheek. “Did you get the number of the bus that hit you?”

“Funny you should mention a bus,” Peter slurred as he flipped his phone around and showed Tony footage from youtube of Spider-Man being slapped in the face by the Midtown Express. 

“Ah….” Tony winced and pulled back. He’d been hit pretty hard in his day, but not _quite_ like that. 

“Sorry I crashed without…” Tony waved off the inane babble. Of course the kid was welcome if he needed a place to crash. It was no secret that Tony had been keeping tabs on Peter Parker for awhile and clearly Peter was now willing to step into Tony’s world. Well, willing if he’d just been bitch slapped by a bus. “May thinks I’m the substitute at an electronics competition in New Jersey this weekend.” At least the kid was good with excuses and his aunt seemed to take him at face value. Maybe it was that puppy dog look he did or the fact that he had the face of an angel. “I’ll stay out of your way. Your A.I….”

“Friday,” Tony supplied. 

“Friday,” Peter nodded. “She said it would be ok.” 

“Yeah, she would,” Tony joked. “You’re fine, kid. You look like hell, though. Have you actually seen a doctor or did Friday just scan you?” 

“I scanned him, sent the information to three doctors, and compiled the results, Boss,” Friday’s pleasant lilt filled the room. “And I think you know, there is no _just_ to my scans.” Tony had to admit that she was right. He did, though, take a minute to look the kid over. Peter was surprisingly unconcerned by Tony’s gaze, stretched out on the sofa all long, lean lines. The thought caught Tony off guard and sent him in the direction of the bar. He nearly offered the kid a drink, but stopped short. 

“You got anything you need help with?” Oh, and there it was, Tony thought. Eager to spend time with him, Peter’s eyes were wide, smile a little mangled from the damage, but open. That was going to screw the kid over in the end. No one should look that earnest and not be faking it. “I mean…. I’m sure you have machines that can…” 

“Yeah,” Tony just needed him to shut up. “Yeah, I’ve got something for you. Get dressed and meet me upstairs.” Tony just needed some space. Why was he thinking about the long, knobbed line of Peter’s spine with such clarity it was almost painful? With that thought lingering, Tony left pretending to read something as he mentally flogged himself for even looking at the boy. _BOY_ , Tony’s brain shouted at him. _OFF LIMITS._ Tony didn’t do well with ‘off limits.’ This time he couldn’t fuck it up, though.


	2. Chapter 2

Peter showed up three weeks later, spending the night. Tony knew he was there because Friday had now been programmed to alert him when the kid came around. He’d contemplated for awhile if he ought to go down, drinking steadily through the night and into the morning. When he _ran into_ Peter in the Avengers living area, he was lit. “Get punched in the face by a skyscraper this time,” Tony asked as he began to make a bloody mary. Well, he was putting vodka, tomato juice, and olives in a glass. “Want one?” 

“… no, and no thanks,” Peter told him. “I was just out really late and didn’t want to wake May up. I usually to just go around the city and find places to read, but I have finals next week and need to log some sleep so I can actually focus on my books. 

“Growing boys need lots of sleep,” Tony said before mentally face-palming himself. Fuck, what was wrong with him? “Listen, are you hungry?”   
“Always,” Peter told Tony. 

“Alright… Friday, send up lots of food. Breakfast food,” Tony asked Peter. 

“Yes, lots of bacon and strawberries,” Peter asked with a wide smile. How old was he again? 

“Yeah, what he said,” Tony told Friday who was no doubt already ordering from the chefs downstairs. “Care to tell what you were out late for? Have you got a cute little filly you’re keeping on the down low?” Peter blushed and Tony felt both relieved and gut punched. There _was_ someone. 

“No, just doing what I do,” he said with a shrug. “Mostly petty crime tonight, nothing big. Couple of purse snatchers then I followed a five guys who were out cruising for trouble.” Tony nodded and took a big chug of his bloody mary. He needed to make another one, always good to have a drink on deck when confronting the fact that you want to bone a fifteen year old. 

In the weeks since Peter’s initial visit, Tony had given it a lot of thought. Well, he’d given Peter a lot of thought. It might be very wrong, but in the most secret and vault-like places in Tony’s mind, he wanted Peter. The attraction was strong, a deep pull in Tony’s guts that he feared he wasn’t going to be able to control. 

Peter turned and Tony saw a bruise on his cheek and frowned. He was close, pacing as he usually did, and reached out to touch Peter’s cheek with an even deeper frown. “You need something for that?” Tony saw the boy’s eyes dilate and glanced away as he dropped his hand. “I have a cabinet full of drugs somewhere. Friday, where’s the drug cabinet?” Usually Dum-E just brought them to him. 

“Nah, it’s fine. I heal fast.” Peter stayed close and Tony couldn’t help but think of how soft Peter’s skin had been under his fingertips. Tony wondered if he could get away with kissing Peter’s boo-boo. Before his mind could stray further, Tony finished his drink and went to make another one. “I will take some orange juice if you’ve got any.” Peter followed Tony to the bar, all young and pretty. Damn he resented that. Why couldn’t the kid be ugly? Hell, even then Tony didn’t know if he’d manage. The boy was smart, funny, and damn good at what he did. Mostly, though, it was his mind. Tony had started looking into a couple of the kid’s ideas and they were sound. No, they were more than sound. Though it had been quite easy to get into his files. He was going to have to teach Peter some higher level ways to encrypt. 

“If you’ve got time, I can take you up to the lab after breakfast,” Tony offered. 

“Really?” Peter got close, the excitement the kid put off was infectious. “For serious, I’m going to see Tony Stark’s secret lab,” he whispered to himself in excitement. Tony could see from the little surprised look on Peter’s face that he hadn’t intended to say that aloud. “Sorry, that was really dorky.” Peter reached out for the orange juice Tony was setting down, brushing his fingers over Tony’s as he took the glass. The kid’s smile made the touch all the more endearing and Tony was suddenly overwhelmed by the urge to give him a noogie. Tony refrained. Narrowly. 

“Want to go now? We can eat up there.” Tony was getting quite excited about the prospect of seeing Peter excited over the lab, and since impulse control wasn’t his greatest asset Tony just wanted to get him up there. Pepper had insisted that when he built his lab, he have a room just next door for him to eat and rest in. She had been sick of finding him slumped over his workbench. Whereas it was usually just somewhere for him to lay out for ten minutes while he thought, today he would actually sit down and eat with someone. Not typical, but not unwelcome at all. 

“Yeah, for sure.” Peter bolted the orange juice before turning to head back to the couch. On his way, Peter peeled off his shirt, leaving him in just a pair of jeans. He was going to be replaying that footage later, Tony thought. The kid was all long and lean with slightly gangly arms and legs that moved with a strange fluidity. Peter bent, rummaging around in his bag for a clean shirt. Tony watched Peter’s spine move under his skin, his ribs flex as he shifted. Tony found it near impossible to look away and felt like he might need his arc reactor back to stabilize his heart rate. 

Peter turned to face Tony, clean shirt in one hand. “I’ve got food on that one,” he pointed to the t-shirt he’d been sleeping in. “Don’t want to contaminate anything.” Tony could see ribs and abs, but what he was drawn to was the cut the slope from the kid’s hips down to disappear under the waist of his jeans. Tony had a filthy flash of dropping to his knees and finding out what was under those jeans before he tried to smash it down by adding another few shots of vodka to his glass. It turned out to be more like red vodka than tomato juice and vodka, but Tony didn’t care. If he was going to get through hanging out with this kid without popping an inappropriate tent in his pants, he was going to need to be wasted. 

It turned out that he wasn’t the only one who would have trouble keeping it in his pants. Tony took Peter on a tour of the lab, holding onto his mostly vodka bloody mary. He watched as, with every new machine, Peter’s pulse raced and his breath sped. It didn’t take long for the tent to start in Peter’s jeans. Well, it wasn’t so much a tent as a swell. Tony tried hard not to notice, but Peter adjusted himself a couple dozen times before they actually sat down to breakfast. While they ate, Peter talked a mile a minute about some of his ideas, shoveling bacon and strawberries into his mouth. Why was that hot? That shouldn’t have been hot. 

“… and then I think I’d use the big electromagnetic….” Tony was in and out of the conversation, lost at the way Peter’s lips got a little redder as he ate. Maybe it was the strawberries. Tony didn’t eat much, but he did finish off his drink. “What about….” They got off onto a topic and went for over an hour before Peter’s phone rang. “Sorry, it’s May.” That jolted Tony from the thoughts he’d been having, wondering just how much he’d be able to taste the bacon versus the strawberries if he pinned Peter to the table and kissed him. It was good to know that Aunt May could be a boner-killer. Tony tucked that away for future reference as Peter worked his way through a very complex excuse. Tony would have to work with him on that. Simple was be better.

When the conversation ended, Peter assured May that he was fine and planning to stop by Avengers Tower and take Mr. Stark up on his offer to see the lab. Tony felt really weird being _Mr. Stark_ in that instance and squirmed. “…. mmmm Tony,” was the first thing he said when Peter got off the phone. “Don’t call me Mr. Stark. It creeps me out.” Peter smiled a little, clearly tucking _that_ away for future reference. “And… if you’re done we can get back to the lab.” Tony was eager to hide his thoughts with work. That always helped. He could feel the booze as he stood, ignoring the voice that said _you don’t need any more_ and making himself another drink. 

“You must have a really high tolerance,” Peter put in quietly. The look of concern on his face almost made Tony put the vodka down. _Almost_


	3. Chapter 3

For Peter’s sixteenth birthday, Tony wanted to get the kid a car. Knowing he wouldn’t accept it, instead he developed a Spider Cycle. It used webbing to help him get around and had a fair bit of defensive tech. It also had the ability to ride walls and a hell of a rocket booster on it. Tony had it sitting in Peter’s room waiting for him when he dropped by that night. Peter had been doing a lot more of that. If he was working in Midtown, he’d always pass through late at night. Tony was starting to get used to it, even to expect and look forward to it. That was how Peter had gotten a room designated just for him in the tower. 

“Holy crap!” That was Tony’s cue and he walked down the hall to Peter’s room, pausing in the doorway to watch. The delight in the kid’s expression warmed Tony’s black, wizened little heart. “Is this for me?” 

“No,” Tony deadpanned, “I just painted the webbing on there because I like the pattern. Of course it’s for you.” He tossed the kid the keys, a redundancy he’d put in because who didn’t want keys for their first vehicle? There were also biometrics that would get it going, but there was symbolism in keys that even Tony appreciated. “Happy birthday.” It was clear the kid was at war with himself over accepting a gift like this and Tony had already planned for that. “Of course it’s meant only for crime fighting and the occasional joy ride.” Tony smiled back at Peter who was already straddling it. “Looks good on you,” Tony winked. 

He’d been expecting gratitude, but not the hug Peter pulled him into. The boy hopped off his new toy and launched himself at Tony, hugging him hard. Tony wasn’t a hugging kind of guy, but put his arms around Peter without a thought. _Danger, danger, danger_ , his brain chanted at him. Like he usually did, Tony ignored the voice and held onto the boy tight. 

“This is amazing. Thank you so much.” Peter’s chin was pressed into Tony’s shoulder and he imagined for a moment a more intimate embrace. That had him pulling back from the hug, putting some distance. What the hell was wrong with him? “You’re amazing.” Peter smiled at him, lit up from the inside. “I really… I think you’re super great, Tony.” The kid was holding onto Tony’s right hand, shaking it furiously. 

“Yeah, well you’re nifty too. You going to try it out or what?” Thank God Peter could be easily distracted because for the next couple of hours, he practiced riding the thing all over the top floors, letting Tony put some distance between them and some alcohol in his veins. By the time Peter came back, he was windblown and, if possible, more beautiful than ever. It had occurred to Tony that that was the word he most associated with Peter, beautiful. Was that a strange thing to think about another man? “Report?”

“It’s amazing.” Peter came and flopped on the couch next to Tony. He’d put on his suit to ride the Spider Cycle, and Tony could still feel the cool night air coming off of Peter. “It goes straight up walls, but I guess you know that because you designed it. And you really designed it for me, which is… I mean… mind blown.” Peter made explosive gestures at his temples. “I hope you know how much I appreciate all of this, letting me work in your lab, all the food,” Tony smirked. The kid did eat a LOT. “And the gear. Man, the gear,” Peter smiled and leaned in a little. “Mostly… just… thanks.” The smile was shy, sort of sweet. _Fuuuuuuuuuuuck_ Tony thought as his fingers twitched to reach out and pull Peter to straddle his lap. _Not fair, not fair, not fair._   
Peter’s gaze broke as he leaned back into the sofa again, his stomach growling. “I thought Bruce was bad when he went Code Green, but he’s like a thousand feet tall and weighs sixteen tons. You’re like 100 pounds soaking wet.” 

“I’m 162,” Peter said proudly. “Denser muscles.” He offered up his bicep and Tony couldn’t actually refuse. His curiosity was piqued when he touched Peter’s flexed bicep. It was like a damn rock. “You should feel my thighs,” Peter laughed. Tony tried not to die inside at the suggestion. “I was all jelly before, but now…” Peter grinned as he reached over and picked Tony up over his head with almost no effort. “Thanks for the demo,” Tony told Peter as the kid put him down. They were close, too close and soon Tony wasn’t going to be able to hide the fact that all he wanted to do was kiss the kid breathless. Instead, he pulled away and changed the subject. “You ever tested your limits? Scientifically I mean.” Tony was trying damn hard not to think about Peter’s hands at his waist hoisting him up despite the fact that pressure from where Peter’s fingertips had been felt like it was outlined in fire on Tony’s ribs. “We could set up a protocol and you could see what you’re capable of.”   
“… I’d like to see with the suit versus without. I can feel the difference,” Peter ran his hand down his chest, “but… I’d like to be able to quantify it.” Peter seemed genuinely interested and they started to talk, Tony having Friday start a new file for them both to be able to access and only them. They had sushi that night and Tony got blasted on sake. It amused him that Peter tried it, taking a sip from Tony’s cup and shuddering. “That’s… disgusting,” he laughed before going back to his bubble tea. 

“That’s… yeah, it’s not my favorite, but vodka doesn’t pair well with fish unless it’s pickled and if it’s pickled that’s not going to happen.” He shrugged and went back to his tuna roll. By the end of the night, they were on the sofa both on tablets working through math. 

Eventually, though Peter put his down and laid his head back on the sofa. He closed his eyes and rubbed them hard. “Poke me in like ten minutes. I just need to tune out.” 

“Sure.” Tony watched Peter drop off to sleep in less than two minutes. In another minute, his lips parted and a small snore came out. The kid was exhausted. He slumped over at some point, head on Tony’s shoulder. Tony froze. Peter grumbled something about toast before shifting to wrap his arms around Tony’s waist and settle his cheek in at Tony’s chest. Tony gritted his teeth and tried hard not to disturb Peter with his own discomfort. The boy glommed on like an octopus and squeezed Tony around his middle. He could feel the heat spreading through his chest and up into his face as he shifted one arm to wrap around Peter. Tony told himself it was for comfort, but as Peter’s face turned up and his lips just barely brushed the skin at Tony’s throat, he knew something else in his marrow. This was more than just attraction and it was going to end him if he allowed himself to go down this path.


	4. Chapter 4

Peter had been mortified by his behavior, he’d told Tony as much when he apologized the next morning then disappeared from Tony’s life for a month and a half. When he did show up again, he was beaten bloody and his suit was near destroyed. “Tony,” Peter said with a smile. “Glad you’re h…” and then slumped forward and hit the floor. 

“Friday, start scanning him.” Tony hurried over and hauled Peter up onto the couch. 

“Multiple broken ribs, contusions, and a concussion Boss. I’ll continue to scan.” 

Tony frowned and looked at the gashes on Peter’s torso and legs. “What the hell did you get into,” Tony grumbled as he put a blanket over the boy and tried to prop up his head. “Peter…” Tony patted his cheek a few times. “You can’t sleep. You’ve got a concussion.”

“I’m fine… just a flesh wound,” Peter snorted as he drifted out again. 

“Sorry about this.” Tony picked up Peter’s hand and dug his thumb into a nerve cluster that woke the boy right up. “There you are,” he said to Peter’s glazed expression. “Come on. You’re a mess.” He hauled him up a little bit. “Think you can walk?” 

“Sure. I’ve got legs!” Peter threw his legs up in the air and wiggled his feet. “Oh, look!” Tony watched and saw the kid wiggle his toes. For some reason that amused the hell out of Peter and he kept doing it making boop-boop-boop noises as he pointed them. 

“Yeah, that’s cool. Friday, get us a doctor here, someone we trust.” 

“Sure, Boss.” 

Tony got Peter to his feet and started him toward his room. “Let’s get you out of this. We may trust the doctor, but we don’t want to advertise.” Once in Peter’s room, Tony helped strip the kid out of his suit. All he could do was stare at the damage Peter had taken and ache for him. Tony had had the crap kicked out of him on more than one occasion, but this hurt worse. Tony knew damn well that wasn’t a good sign, but ignored it and carefully peeled fabric from Peter’s ripped flesh.

Peter was staying on his feet, but seemed fascinated by Tony’s beard. Peter actually began to stroke it, scraping his nails the wrong way and getting a shudder out of Tony. “You’re really handsome.” Peter smiled dopily and leaned in to wrap his arms around Tony’s neck, hugging him. “I like you, Tony.” 

Tony’s hands hovered over Peter’s bruised, bare back. “… I like you too, kid.” 

“Ew… I’m bloody.” Peter looked down at his chest. “I got you bloody.” 

Tony couldn’t help it, he jumped back. He hadn’t thought of blood or of any of his other usual worries about contagion. He’d just worried about Peter. The kid almost fell when Tony jerked back and he reached out to catch him, jerking Peter hard and getting a pained sound no doubt from jarring those broken ribs. “Sorry… sorry. Alright. Come on.” Tony pulled Peter with him into the bathroom. “God help me,” said the avowed atheist before turning the shower. “Sit.” He directed Peter to the stone bench along the wall of the shower. 

“Kay.” Tony turned and pulled off his own bloodied t-shirt and threw it aside. Peter whistled as Tony came closer, reaching out just a little. He let out a soft, appreciative noise and Tony froze. _Nope, nope, don’t. Bad idea._ But Tony couldn’t leave the guy stranded in the shower. “Does it hurt,” Peter asked as Tony came into the shower, not chancing stepping out of his jeans. Hell, Tony had kept Peter in his tightie-whities just to make sure he stayed a good guy in this. He _had_ to stay a good guy. 

“What?” Tony tried to be business-like as he ran a sponge over Peter’s shoulders, watching the water turn pink before it circled the drain. 

“The hole in your chest.” Peter reached out, putting his hand over the spot where Tony’s arc reactor had been taken out and Tony’s skin lit up nerves all over his body in response. “Do you get phantom pains?” Peter’s fingers moved around the very edge of the old wound, probing gently as he looked at Tony’s skin with fascination. “This isn’t a skin graft. What is it?” Tony hurt there more often than not, and when he couldn’t feel the reactor there, he’d feel nothing. Until Peter touched his chest. Tony was stuck on the boy’s mouth and finally registered that he’d spoken. 

Tony was grateful to have something to talk about even if it was the hole in his chest. He talked about it as he quickly washed Peter. He was efficient, reminding himself that even if he were drunk he’d still have remembered every moment of this. Peter’s fingers kept touching Tony’s chest, moving from the place where the arc reactor had been under one pec to Tony’s side. “I ought to introduce you to Dr. Cho at some point.” She had used the Cradle with him just like she’d used it to heal Clint. “For now, you’re clean. Time to get out.” Tony was grateful, but he was also soaked. 

“Why did you keep your clothes on?” Tony was drying Peter who was shivering hard by this point. “Aren’t you cold?” Peter pushed his underwear to the floor to get out of the uncomfortable wet cloth and Tony looked away fast. “Don’t suppose you have any underwear,” Peter laughed. “Underwear, underwear… that’s a weird word. “Underwear.” 

“Sure is. And Friday…”

“A change of clothing has already been brought to the Mr. Parker’s bedroom, Boss.” Friday really was a savior sometimes. Tony hustled Peter out there in a towel, putting him on the edge of the bed. “Get dressed,” he nodded to the clothes. “I’ll be back.” Tony hustled to the main living area where Friday had already left him a set of clothes. 

After ducking into the bathroom to change, Tony went back to find Peter sitting on the edge of the bed in only a t-shirt. “I can’t do these,” Peter held out the sweatpants and underwear. “Help me?” 

“You have got to be kidding me.” Tony understood that Peter couldn’t coordinate right now, that he was struggling, but was this a joke? Was the Universe intentionally fucking with him?

“Please?” Peter stuck out a pouty bottom lip and Tony had a hard time not laughing at him. “I don’t want Little Peter to be wagging in the wind when the doctor gets here.” Peter gave a point to his lap, raising a brow. 

“You’re lucky I like you kid.” Tony helped, trying not to look but catching enough glimpses to put together a very accurate picture of what Peter had going on downstairs. For days after Tony had dreams about dropping to his knees for that cock, about sinking his teeth into Peter’s ass cheek and running his tongue along the inside of his thighs. Tony knew exactly how bad this was, but that didn’t kill the obsession he was experiencing. He didn’t know what would, but he needed to figure it out soon.


	5. Chapter 5

Tony found Peter sitting silently on the couch in the lab around three in the morning, staring out the window into the night. Tony hadn’t been to bed yet and was just coming through the lab to see if there was something menial he could work on to put his brain to sleep. His night terrors had been out of control the past few nights, which was also why Tony was obliterated on scotch and hadn’t eaten since yesterday. “Underoos,” Tony greeted with a wave of his glass. 

“Hey,” Peter wiped his cheeks and looked over at Tony, smiling just a little. Something was wrong. Tony headed over, trying to walk as straight a line as he could, sitting on the coffee table in front of Peter. “You have a rough night too?”

Tony didn’t answer, just leaned in a little. “Another bus? Giant lizard? Octopus-man?”

“Doc Ock,” Peter corrected. “And no. Much more normal than what usually gets to me.” He gave Tony a tight smile. “You don’t want to hear about this.”

“You’re right,” Tony agreed. “But go ahead.” He was trying to be funny but he was also curious and, if he was being honest with himself, genuinely concerned. 

“It’s stupid.” Peter shook his head. “I just like someone and they don’t like me back. It was really loud in our building today and it’s quiet here. I can just think.” Tony nodded. “It really… I mean I knew he wasn’t….” Tony’s brow rose. _He_ , so Tony was right. The kid was at least bisexual. “I …” 

It was clear Peter was worried going by the look he was giving Tony. “Gender doesn’t matter,” he assured the boy. Peter’s whole posture relaxed instantly. “He’s not gay?” 

“I don’t know what he is,” Peter shook his head, looking lost. “One minute I think he’s flirting, the next he doesn’t talk to me for days.” The kid sighed and put his head in his hands. Tony reached up to cup the back of his head, rubbing the base of his skull just a little as he tried to think of what to say. “Sometimes I think he hates me.” 

“Come on now,” Tony clucked. “Who in their right mind could hate you? Irritated, Annoyed, maybe. Hate, no way.” Peter looked up and Tony let his hand slide around to the boy’s face, not quite wanting to let go. He could feel the thrum of Peter’s pulse against his palm, and Tony was quite transfixed by the way it felt against his skin. Would it feel the same on his tongue? “You’re brilliant first of all.” Tony shifted his gaze a little and let his hand move to the boy’s shoulder. It was a slow progression, something he’d never have allowed himself if he was even just sober-ish. “And funny. You talk way too much, but you’re cute as a button and really good at what you do.” Peter smiled and Tony leaned forward on instinct to kiss Peter’s forehead. It was meant as a friendly, caring gesture, no more. 

Peter let out a surprised noise when Tony’s lips brushed his forehead. It took Peter a second but It was actually him who reached up and ran his hand along Tony’s bare forearm. Tony’s eyes closed at the touch, trying his hardest not to bite his lip or make a sound. Peter’s fingers still laid on his skin, rubbing over Tony’s wrist bone “You think I’m cute?” 

Tony didn’t think he was actually breathing, more miming the behaviors so he didn’t draw too much attention. He tried to deflect, needing shelter from what was brewing inside. “That’s what you took out of it?” Tony sat back, letting his hand drop back to his side. “I, Tony Stark, called you brilliant.” 

“I know _that_ ,” Peter said with a roll of his eyes. “Do you think I’m cute or handsome because there’s a big difference.” He was deadly serious now, staring Tony in the eye. 

“… I don’t know. You’re a good looking guy,” Tony shrugged, pulling back a little farther. “You’re tall and you have good hair,” Tony pointed out. 

“Everyone’s tall to you,” Peter joked. 

“And that,” Tony said with a shake of his head. “Your sense of humor. That can make someone incredibly attractive.” 

“Funny guys don’t end up with Prince Charming,” Peter pointed out. “And you still haven’t said handsome or cute.” 

Tony decided to throw in the towel on keeping it under wraps for a few moments, stepping closer. “You’re too hard on yourself.” Tony took Peter by the shoulders and gave him a shake. “You’re hot, man. Figure it out. If this guy doesn’t see that, screw him. You deserve better.” 

Peter seemed to search Tony’s face a minute, looking at him deeply. It made Tony uncomfortable and he dropped his hands, pulling back to stand up. Peter looked almost like he was trying to figure out if Tony was lying. Tony was not. The sincerity seemed to resonate and Peter gave a firm nod before standing up. In the small space between the couch and the coffee table, Tony could feel Peter’s breath on his collar. “Thank you, Tony.” 

“Yeah, sure,” Tony nodded and ducked away, almost making it until he felt a hand at his wrist. He was pulled into a tight hug. Peter was that kind of guy, the guy who hugged you all the time and thought it was alright. Tony usually would have said something, would have never been drawn into the embrace, but with Peter his ability to say no was next to nothing. Tony hugged the kid back, patting his back firmly, hoping that would end things. It did not.

The hug went on a long time, mostly because Tony didn’t pull back. Right now, Peter was pressed to him in a way that made him calmer than he’d been in a week. When it came to embraces, Tony always pulled back first, but this time it was Peter because Tony just couldn’t. “So why are you up at three a.m.,” Peter asked as he stepped back a little. “And incredibly drunk?” 

“I’m not incredibly drunk, I’m just super drunk,” Tony pointed out. “And … I have trouble sleeping sometimes.” He moved away, heading to the window. “Have had for awhile. I should be used to it by now.” Tony was always disappointed with himself when his body betrayed him. “It’s not a big deal. Usually I can catch a buzz and fall back asleep. Just not tonight.” 

“…sorry,” Peter said from close behind. Tony turned a little too fast and Peter caught him before he went down, holding Tony up easily. _Fuck, why is that hot?_ “You ok?” Peter’s eyes searched Tony’s and that hot spark in his palms blossomed again. “Tony?” 

“Yeah,” he realized he hadn’t even attempted to get to his own feet. He’d just trusted that Peter had him. “Sorry… Spaced out. Maybe I’ll try to head to bed.” Tony’s brain was screaming _danger_ quite loudly. And there were klaxons, lots of klaxons. He got to his feet but Peter didn’t let go of his waist, holding him a little too close. “Peter,” Tony asked quietly because the kid seemed to be weighing something. 

“I need to do something and you can slap me later,” Peter told him before leaning up and pressing his closed lips to Tony’s. It wasn’t great by any stretch of the imagination, but the sheer rush of Peter pressed to him, of Peter’s lips against Tony’s, had his whole world spinning. Well, that and the scotch. Peter pulled back, looking scared but proud of himself. “I’d never kissed anyone.” There was that hard thrum like a deep bass string being plucked low in Tony’s guts. “I… I sort of told myself that I’d do it before I turned seventeen, and that’s in a couple of months and I thought….” 

Tony put his hand over Peter’s mouth, shaking his head. “… that was a peck,” Tony told the boy before letting his hand drop and his common sense go on vacation as he leaned in. “This is a kiss.” His hand cupped in agains the small of Peter’s back and he pulled the boy against him. He was one giant taut muscle and as Tony’s tongue ran over Peter’s bottom lip, he could feel the boy’s pulse race. It wasn’t too long, but Tony made sure to make it long enough that Peter started to kiss back before he broke it. “Check it off your list,” Tony said, trying to sound flippant as he headed toward the door. He needed to put as much distance between him and Peter as quickly as he could before he did anything dumber than kiss the kid.


	6. Chapter 6

Tony threw himself into his work and avoided Peter for weeks after the kiss. He was horrified with himself and drank. As a matter of fact, he looked a lot more like the guy he was ten years ago. Mostly he was trying to forget everything about kissing Peter. It was stupid, not to mention dangerous. He was risking a lot just by having the kid around. Even before this, Tony had known he was crossing the line in a lot of regards. 

Worse even than how he beat himself up was how much he missed Peter. Tony didn’t realize how much he missed Peter until he went back into his lab. In his mind’s eye, he could see it all again. He could see Peter sitting on the couch crying, could see himself almost falling, kissing Peter passionately and having to nearly run from the room. Everyone tried to figure out what had set him off, but Tony wouldn’t talk to any of them. Hell, he couldn’t even if he wanted to. Tony knew he was in the wrong, but he couldn’t get Peter off his mind. Missing Peter led to dreaming about Peter, which led to Tony taking a lot of cold showers. 

He was on his way to one such shower when he was confronted with the object of his concern. “You’re avoiding me.” 

“What I’m doing right now,” Tony said as he cocked his hip out to the side, “is going to the bathroom. Can we talk after?” He sincerely hoped he could hide what was happening in his pajama pants. “How did you get in here,” Tony asked as he edged around Peter. “I programmed Friday to tell me when you were coming.” 

“I reprogrammed her,” Peter said as though that should have been perfectly apparent. “And aha!”

“Aha,” Tony asked sarcastically as he finally made it past Peter.

“Yeah, if you programmed her to tell you when I was coming that means you were trying to avoid me. I’ve been here almost every day since we…” Tony turned and put his hand over Peter’s mouth. 

“We didn’t do anything. Nothing should have happened,” Tony told Peter sharply. “It was stupid and I was drunk.” He pulled his hand back and glared at Peter. “Now… go do something teenagey. Throw something off an overpass. Burn something.” “Ok,” Peter said. He was strangely compliant as he stepped closer. Tony didn’t know what he was expecting, but Peter let go of Tony’s arm and moved it to his neck. Peter pulled Tony in for a kiss. It was too hard at first, clearly Peter trying to figure out what felt right. But soon it shifted to this beautiful slow kiss Tony found himself totally drawn into. Peter flattened himself against Tony and Tony actually felt the groan that went through the boy as he felt what Tony had been trying to hide. Peter pulled back and met Tony’s eyes, searching. 

It took him a minute, but when Tony got his wits about him, all he could do was protest. “Woah, woah, woah. Back up the truck, Lolita.” Tony stepped back fast, putting his hands up like he was trying to plead innocence. “This cannot happen. This did not happen,” he said sharply. “I am not going to be that guy,” Tony told Peter sharply. “I’m not some fucking perv.” 

Tony was in overdrive, but Peter looked perfectly calm as Tony blustered on, stepping closer and taking one of Tony’s hands. It was a small gesture, but Peter just turned over Tony’s hand and traced the lines of his palm with the tip of his finger. “You’re not a perv. If anything, you tried to avoid this. Which is how I knew it was a big deal for you. If it hadn’t been, you’d have come to the lab the next morning.” How was the kid so calm? Tony’s heart was thundering in his chest. “In a couple of months I’ll be seventeen and then it’s legal and…”

“Just because it’s legal doesn’t mean it’s ok,” Tony told Peter. “The relationship is inappropriate.”

“So you acknowledge that we’re in a relationship,” Peter asked while wagging his brow. Tony felt like his head was going to explode. “I felt you that night.” Tony’s brows knitted. “You were hard. _And_ you were really drunk, so it had to have been difficult to get there, but you were.” Tony’s hands were balled into fists. “You want me.” He didn’t cry often, but if the kid didn’t leave him the fuck alone, Tony just might. 

“Shut up, kid. Go home.” It was the best he had as he pulled his hand back and turned on his heel. 

“I want you, too.” Tony was grateful his back was to Peter when the boy spoke. “Not right now. I’m not ready for sex, but… when I am I want it to be you.” He had the distinct urge to thunk his head against the wall until he had a concussion or passed out. 

“Go home,” was all Tony could say before he hurried out of the room and locked himself in the bathroom. He turned on the shower, but didn’t get in, opting instead to sit on the floor with his head in his hands trying convince himself that he didn’t want to go back out there. Peter, to his credit, didn’t knock or try to push, and within ten minutes, Friday told Tony the boy had left. Tony couldn’t shake the totally sick feeling that was in his veins and left for South America the next day.


	7. Chapter 7

The boy stalked Tony’s dreams, flitting in and leaving Tony waking up hard like he was a fucking teenager. The draw was powerful, and the more he wanted Peter the more women he took to bed. He was obnoxious and obvious about it, making sure it hit the tabloids and websites because he needed to distance himself. He detached himself from his life and took up the vices he’d dropped all those years ago. It wasn’t until Natasha showed up on his doorstep in Madrid that Tony actually woke the hell up. 

“You’ve been a hard man to find,” Natasha pointed out as she walked past Tony into his plush apartment. “You have guests,” Natasha deadpanned as she nodded to the pile of limbs in the bed easily visible through the bedroom door. “Perhaps you could close the door?” Tony obliged and as Natasha picked a pair of panties off the couch and tossed them on the floor, he realized how absurd this whole situation was. That _she_ was the one coming to see him said a whole hell of a lot considering he’d turned her in. 

“Yeah… midlife crisis or something, I’m sure.” Tony ran his hand through his hair and got a whiff of himself. He smelled like a locker room and a distillery had a baby. “What’s up?” 

“We could use you. Rhodey’s prosthesis needs some work and Pepper came home from Europe.” Natasha was perched carefully on the arm of the sofa, trying not to touch anything she didn't have to. Tony didn’t blame her. “And I got a visit from a concerned friend who told me an interesting story.” 

“Yeah,” Tony asked. The kid wasn’t that nuts, was he? Had he gone to Natasha? 

“He seems to think you might have run away because of him.”

“I didn’t run away,” Tony snapped. “I am on vacation. And just who is this?” 

“I think you know,” Natasha said softly. “And … he tells a compelling story of a man who’s tormenting himself. Maybe unnecessarily.” Tony crossed his arms over his chest tightly. “As the story went, I guess this guy has been trying to do the right thing for awhile. It’s been a painful process apparently, but the other guy seems hell bent.” 

“The other _guy_ is a child,” Tony pointed out. Natasha might not know exactly who Spider-Man was, but she knew he wasn’t in his 40’s.

“… yes and no.” Now Tony’s interest was piqued. “He’s fighting for justice every day, and the brain on this guy… that’s got to mean something. Smarter people are ahead of the curve, aren’t they?” Natasha watched as the door opened and a beautiful blonde walked out totally naked. 

“Are you coming back to bed, Tony,” she purred as she approached. “And who’s your friend? She should join us.” 

“You hear that? The lady wants you to join.” Tony hoped he could make Natasha as uncomfortable as he was feeling right now. “What do you say?” 

“I say… no. Tony and I are going to be leaving soon.” The girl pouted and leaned into Tony’s back, pressing her breasts against his shoulder. “You are coming, right?” 

Tony knew he needed to face this head on. That was the adult thing to do. He glanced back at the bedroom, the mass of limbs on the bed starting to move. “Sorry. Work to do.” Then to Natasha, “let me shower,” Tony said. “Maybe you could evict last night’s guests,” Tony asked, getting a dirty look from Natasha before ducking into the bathroom to have the pending panic attack.


	8. Chapter 8

Tony waited for Peter. It only took two days for the boy to realize Tony was back in town. Around eight at night on the second night back, Friday told him Peter had shown up. “Send him up.” 

Peter came in a few minutes later with a pizza in one hand and some root beer in the other. “Thought you might need to eat something. Double sausage, mushroom, and spinach,” Peter said. “And there’s wings in there too.” Tony didn’t know why something so simple was so incredibly endearing. He came up a little short at the kid’s gesture as he came through and set the pizza and pop on the counter. 

Peter’s hair was a little longer and he had gotten taller. Tony watched the way Peter moved, trying not to catalogue every difference since the last time he’d laid eyes on Peter. “Thanks… I am hungry,” Tony said as he approached. “How have you been?” 

Peter turned and looked at Tony, frowning a little. “I’ve been really worried about you.” Peter’s hand came out to touch Tony and he pulled back hard, shaking his head. “… yeah… I get that now. I came on too strong. I just… I really like you, Tony.” Peter opened the pizza. “A lot. And I still want to be with you. Just… I can wait if you need to wait.” 

Clearly Natasha and Peter had had a heart to heart and that weirded Tony out big time. But it was good. Tony was actually glad for it because knowing that the kid was going to dial it back helped relieve some of his anxiety. Peter offered up a slice to Tony and he took it gratefully. “Let me get the bottle opener,” he nodded at the glass bottles. Tony wasn’t particularly fond of root beer, but he wasn’t going to be rude. Well not this moment anyway.

They fell into a familiar pattern of talking and eating, traveling the gamut of topics from the countries Tony had visited to the fact that Peter had had to tune up the Spider Cycle while Tony was gone. “I’m going to have to take a look at that,” he told Peter dubiously. 

“Of course,” Peter nodded. “I wouldn’t claim to know an engine as well as the great Tony Stark.” He clinked the neck of his root beer bottle off of Tony’s and they both drank. “… Tony,” Peter asked softly. “I need to ask you something.” Tony was sure it wasn’t going to be good, but he nodded for Peter to continue. “Why did you run? I mean… you’ve done it to me a few times. This one… it was a lot bigger.” Tony nodded. “And… there were a lot of girls. Right? I saw in the papers that…”

“Yeah, kid. I… I’m not the most stable guy in the universe. I would think that’s pretty obvious, but… “ 

“Don’t talk about yourself like that,” Peter told Tony sharply. 

It took Tony by surprise for a second before he started in again. “See my M.O. is to hide. Location, alteration, or fornication. This time it was all of them. I… “ Tony leaned forward a little. “You scare the hell out of me.” It was a huge confession. “Loving you isn’t …” 

“Wait,” Peter looked at Tony with a little bit of a smile on his lips. “You love me? Did you just say that you love me?” Peter’s face lit up and Tony could feel the flush on his own skin. He _had_ said that, hadn’t he? _Fuck._

“You know what I mean,” Tony said, trying to backpedal a little. “All of this, you being so young, me being me….” 

“I don’t care,” Peter said as he rounded the table to where Tony was sitting. 

“I have to.” Peter’s fingertips ran over Tony’s cheek. “Peter…” Tony shifted but Peter leaned up to press their lips together, flattening himself to Tony. Peter’s strong fingers flexed at Tony’s hips, pulling him in flush. Despite knowing this was a horrible idea, Tony couldn’t stop himself from pressing his palm to Peter’s back, clenching in the fabric of his t-shirt. He could feel the heat Peter put out through the fabric and it only took a few seconds for him to press Peter into the fridge with a hard kiss. 

Peter ran his hand through Tony’s hair, pulling it as he ran his lips down Tony’s jaw. Tony barely recognized the sound he made as Peter’s lips ran over Tony’s adams apple. Peter had pressed his thigh between Tony’s legs as they kissed and soon enough they were moving against each other. Peter was breathless when Tony’s hands ran up his back, rucking his shirt up as Peter turned them so that Tony’s back was to the fridge. Peter pulled his shirt off and threw it on the floor before grabbing for Tony’s shirt. 

He thought about it for a moment before Tony raised his arms and let Peter pull off before Tony used his watch to close off the flat to anyone who might disturb them. Peter took Tony’s face in both his hands, looking at Tony with a soft smile. “I love you too.” Tony’s eyes drifted shut. He was going to hell and Peter Parker was leading him merrily down the path. And it was so good that Tony went into this knowing just how bad it could turn out. Hearing Peter say that he loved Tony warmed him through the chest and down his arms. Those words were going to have to be enough collateral for him to leverage his whole world. Peter’s lips moved over Tony’s shoulder and he moaned for the boy, far louder than he intended. “That’s so hot,” Peter whispered in Tony’s ear before kissing him again. 

Tony took Peter’s hips and helped him start a rhythm. They kissed until they were both hard and breathless, the sound of the fridge rocking with their rhythm getting a little concerning. Tony quickly forgot that as Peter’s breaths sped. He let out a soft moan as his lips rested against Tony’s collar bone. “I’m close,” Peter groaned just before he came, moaning Tony’s name as his hips jerked. Tony held onto Peter throughout, kissing him, stroking through his hair, and just absorbing what a beautiful thing this was. “W…Wow,” Peter grinned lazily as he started to come down. He shifted and felt that Tony was still hard. “How about I…” Peter’s hand moved down, cupping Tony through his jeans. 

The move got a deep groan from Tony, but he pulled Peter’s hand back. “Just kiss me,” Tony asked as he traded Peter’s hand for his own. Peter was good at following directions and ran his lips over Tony’s throat up to his mouth. As Tony’s arm flexed and relaxed faster and faster, Peter moved his hips. The kid might have just cum, but he wasn’t getting soft. Fuck Tony missed being that age when you’d get rock hard and stay that way for awhile after you came. Peter’s lips closed around one of Tony’s nipples, clearly unsure but that added a depth of sweetness to the gesture that was what actually put Tony over the edge. “Peter,” Tony moaned the boy’s name softly, shuddering as his hand kept moving to pull the last of his pleasure out of him. He hadn’t actually taken himself out, just opened his jeans and pushed them down so he had room to work in his boxers. That meant he didn’t have a mess that he could clean up out here. 

“Wow,” Peter kissed Tony’s jaw. 

“I think you said that,” Tony pointed out. Peter met his eyes and Tony couldn't help but agree with him, though. “Actually, I think that sums it up. Yeah… wow.”


	9. Chapter 9

“I… uh… I have some questions,” Peter told Tony one day. He cocked his head to the side and his hair fell into his eyes, something that Tony found incredibly endearing. He looked kind of like a golden retriever puppy that was about to get treats. 

“Shoot.” Tony was wearing a pair of goggles that made Peter laugh every time he looked over with them on. 

“Um…” Peter looked around and Tony pulled the glasses off. “They’re… personal questions,” he told Tony. “Maybe we could go upstairs for lunch and talk,” Peter asked softly. No one else was there, but Peter and Tony had agreed to keep their relationship totally private. That meant that they didn’t talk about anything even remotely inappropriate in public. That was hard for Tony considering all he could think about were inappropriate things. 

“Yeah, sure,” Tony agreed. “Let me finish up. I can meet you upstairs. Want to order lunch?” Peter agreed and headed upstairs, leaving Tony to wrap up the diagnostic he’d been running. He was about fifteen minutes behind Peter and found the kid sitting on the couch with a tablet in his hands. He was focused on something and Tony snuck up quietly, peeking over his shoulder. Peter had a list. “I know you’re there. Spidey Sense,” Peter pointed out before looking up at Tony. In the few weeks since Tony came back from his bender and crossed the line with Peter, they’d kept it above the waist. It was a lot of kissing and dry humping with their shirts off. It usually ended with his own hand in his pants, but Tony was ok with it. 

“Yeah, I know,” Tony hopped over the back of the sofa and flopped out next to Peter on the couch. “You had questions.” Tony had kicked off his shoes at the door and was currently yanking off his socks. “My fee is a foot rub.” Tony wiggled his toes and Peter wrinkled his nose. “Come on, they’re not that bad.”

“That one looks like … when some sausage gets pinched in the edge of the package and…” Tony threw a sock at Peter to shut him up. “What? You asked. And now I’m never going to be able to look at your feet the same way. All I’m seeing is when you chop one up with a spatula… all those uneven pieces… that’s your toes.”

“Because yours are perfect,” Tony asked as he looked down. “Damn. They kind of are.” Like everything else on the kid, Peter’s feet were long and narrow. “No fair.” 

“Ok… can we stop talking about feet?” Peter pulled his up under himself, a little self-conscious. 

“Sure, pudin’, what do you want to talk about?” Tony reached over and picked up the soda Peter had been drinking, taking a slug. 

“Anal.” The soda did not stay in Tony’s mouth. Instead it made an interesting pattern as it sprayed out of his mouth across the glass coffee table. “… I told you they were personal questions,” Peter pointed out. 

“… so first… no. Not yet,” Tony told Peter seriously.

“Oh, I know. I’m not ready.” Peter was so confident in what he wanted, and also strangely reserved about certain things. Tony envied the hell out of his self-control. “But when I am ready, I need to know how to do it and what to do. And I’ve read. I mean… a lot.” Peter grimaced. “There are horror stories and…”

“Peter, there are horror stories for walking across the street. I could tell you horror stories about strawberries…” Thoughts of Pepper popped into his head, her stern look as strawberries scattered across the carpet of her office. What would she have to say about him and Peter? “… what was I saying?”

“Everything has a horror story,” Peter asked with a question in his voice. 

“Yeah, so why would you think sex would be any different?” 

Peter’s head cocked to the side, a stupid affectation that made Tony’s heart skip a beat. “That is a fair point actually. Yeah, I mean straight people have horror stories. I heard one about a woman being allergic to her husband’s… stuff.” 

“Stuff?” Tony shook his head. “No, we’re not calling it that. Would you like me to give you words to pick from?”

“No. God no.” Peter shook his head. “Whatever, jizz.” It was clear that it made the kid uncomfortable because he giggled a little bit. “There really isn’t a great word for it. I mean semen sounds weird, ejaculate is clinical…”

“Ohhhhh sexy,” Tony joked. “So… I saw you had a list.” Peter blushed. “That’s cute. What are your questions. No, wait…” Tony got up and headed to the bar, hearing a soft sigh from behind. Tony knew what Peter was thinking. The kid didn’t like it when he drank. He’d never said anything, but Tony could sense it. His hand stilled over the bottle before Tony opted for seltzer and limes. When Peter figured out he wasn’t having any alcohol, the smile Tony got was compensation for alcohol lost. 

“Yeah… so my list, um…” Peter looked down. “I know it’s got to hurt, I mean that’s logical, but … how much. On a one to ten,” Peter turned his tablet around to show the graphic of smiley faces doctors used in their office to assess pain. 

“Peter… no,” Tony came and sat in the chair across from Peter. “Put that away. So… what it is…. You’re telling me that you’re a gay youth and have never put a finger …” Peter cut him off with an embarrassed wave of his hand. “Listen, if we’re going to talk about anal it’s going to get weird. I’ll do it because I don’t want you watching porn to figure it out.” Peter flushed very deep. “Ohhhh… what’s your search? Like your go to?” 

Tony didn’t expect an answer, but Peter looked him right in the eye and said: “facial hair.” 

There was that sharp bass note in his gut and he let out a little groan before jamming a lime wedge in his mouth and chewing it rind and all. “Alright… so pain… Sometimes it hurts, I’m not gonna lie. You have to go slow if you’re not experienced and even if you are you probably should go slow.” Tony was on the impatient side when it came to bottoming and it had resulted in a few rough mornings. “And all of this depends on your partner, right?” He got a nod before he continued. “You start small, tease it. Fingers, some guys like to use their mouths.” Peter’s eyes went wide. “Hey, if you’re down to put your dick in a guy’s ass,” Tony reasoned. 

“Still,” Peter asked, grimacing. 

“It depends on the person, it depends on the situation, but I can tell you that I’ve had it be very good and sort of gross.” He shrugged. “It’s sex. It’s weird, kind of gross, and pretty messy.”

“… so … um… messy…” 

“Ugh… yeah.” Tony explained in as few words as possible what preparation to bottom was like. He focused on staying pretty clinical because, if he thought too much about it his issues with contamination would crop up. “But whatever you do, you always use a condom. I don’t care who you’re with or how long. You use protection.” 

“Use protection,” Peter agreed. “And lube.” 

“Yes, use lube,” Tony agreed. Dum-E came in with their trays of food and Tony watched his creation move. That stupid bot was an awful lot like his kid. That was weird, he registered before looking back at Peter. “There are a lot of choices there. L….ooooots of choices,” Tony said. “I have recommendations and, as a matter of fact, Friday…”

“There’s a fresh basket of your preferred items in your bedroom, Boss.” Despite Friday being an AI, Peter was still embarrassed by what was in that basket, that much was pretty clear. 

“Might want to take it out of the basket if you’re going to bring the lube home,” Tony said with a wink. He was unable to let the kid stop squirming. “What else?” 

Peter pursed his lips and Tony gave him time. That was hard for Tony but something he was working on. “What do you like more, being on top or on the bottom?” 

It was a valid question, but one that gave Tony pause. Asking a question like that was a solid step in the direction of sleeping with Peter. Wasn’t it? Tony was dancing merrily down the path to hell, so it was hard to tell at this point. “Both.” 

“Equally?” 

“… if I had to pick,” Tony thought about it a moment or two. “Bottom.” 

“Really?” Peter leaned in, seeming fascinated. It was like his whole perspective changed in that moment. 

“Yeah, did you think that just because I’m older I like to top? I mean I do, but like I said, if I had to pick… “ Tony shrugged. “When it’s good it’s… it can be mind blowing,” Tony said quite seriously. “Peter, do you know what the prostate is?” 

“Yeah, of course.”

“And do you know what it can do?” Tony took a moment to wax poetic about how it felt, drawing Peter in with his words. “You can only feel so much as a top. It’s all… centralized, I guess. But as a bottom… Well for me it can be all over. And I can go a couple of times if the situation’s just right.” Tony smirked a little at that. 

“But you’ll do both, right? Because I want to learn both.” Now it was Tony’s turn to blush. He also very much wished that his drink had gin in it. A lot of gin. “I think I’d want to start on top, though. So it’s kind of good you like the other better.” And now Tony was thinking about being on his back with Peter inside him. 

“Food’s here,” was all he could say as Tony got to his feet and headed in the direction of the table, thanking God for the distraction. As an atheist, he really shouldn’t have been doing that.


	10. Chapter 10

Tony had been without actual sex for well over a month at this point. In fact, it had been seven weeks, three days, fifteen hours and eight minutes since he’d last been inside someone. It was killing him. That was what had Tony Stark laid out on his bed treating himself to a good jerk off session. He’d long since pushed a toy inside, the heavy base pressing in behind his balls. It wasn’t big, but it was curved so that Tony could roll his hips and play against his prostate. “Fuck,” he groaned as one hand ran over his chest. He was imagining Peter. Tony couldn’t even deny it at this point. He was so damn stupid but it was what it was. 

His eyes were closed as he stroked, one hand rolling his balls in his palm. He was floating on the edge when a soft groan that wasn’t from the porn Tony was watching hit his ear. He grabbed for the blanket and pulled it into his lap. “Jesus Peter, you scared the shit out of me.” 

“I… don’t think that was shit about to come out,” Peter pointed out with a nod to Tony’s groin. “You were close.” Tony didn’t have to acknowledge. Peter knew. “That was so hot.” He approached and Tony put his hand up to stop Peter. “Come on, Tony.” 

“… compromise. Pull that chair over. Also, Friday why didn’t you tell me Peter was here?” 

“That was me,” Peter said. 

“Stop reprogramming my AI,” Tony demanded, honestly annoyed. He shifted himself under the covers and Peter reached out to take the corner of the blanket and pull gently. “You really want to do this,” Tony asked and Peter nodded. Tony peeled back the blankets, his hand half covering his cock as he exposed himself. A blind man couldn’t have missed the look Peter was giving Tony and it made his skin burn. Peter licked his lips and Tony found himself having a hard time staying out of reach of the young man. The only way he was going to get through this without breaking every rule he’d established for himself was to not touch Peter. The moment he did, in Tony’s mind, it was game over. 

“Your eyes were closed,” Peter told Tony, maybe pointing out that it would be ok to close them again. Tony did close them for a moment, his hand starting to move. He could hear Peter’s breaths, the soft moans coming from the movie he’d been watching were filling the quiet space between. “Were you thinking of anything in particular?” Tony could hear the excitement in Peter’s voice. 

“I was,” Tony agreed. He met Peter’s eyes with a small, almost shy smile. “God you’re beautiful.” Peter looked away a moment, flushing. Tony’s hips rolled and he moaned to draw Peter’s attention. Peter smiled a little, his eyes crinkling just a little. 

“What were you thinking about?” Tony knew what Peter was fishing for and made him work for it as Tony gave some slow, firm strokes to hold the young man’s attention. 

“The first time you saw the lab.” It clearly wasn’t what Peter had been expecting because the head cock happened, making Tony bite his lip hard. “I remember how the light came in through your hair as you bent over the centrifuge. You had this look on your face,” Tony said softly as he started to stroke a little more regularly. “I remember thinking that I needed to hold onto that look.” Tony groaned softly and watched Peter shift to the edge of his seat. He reached out to touch Tony’s calf, sliding his long fingers up to the back of Tony’s knee. “Kid,” Tony said in warning but Peter didn’t stop as he moved to the bed, sitting on the edge facing Tony. 

“That early,” Peter asked softly as his fingers moved to Tony’s chest. Tony nodded, looking away in shame. “And… hey,” Peter’s hand came up to catch Tony’s chin as he looked away. Tony met Peter’s eyes before Peter leaned in to brush his lips across Tony’s. “It’s ok.” 

Tony had tormented himself since the first time he thought of Peter in terms of more than a mentor. “It really isn’t.” They didn’t talk about the implications of what they were doing often, but they both knew they were taking enormous risks. 

“I want this,” Peter told Tony firmly. His hand moved back to Tony’s chest. “I want to be with you. I want to work in the lab next to you and wake up next to you.” Tony’s eyes drifted shut and Peter took advantage, closing the distance again to kiss Tony. It was soft and slow, a reminder of just how much Peter cared for him. Peter’s hands moved over Tony’s chest and up his back as Tony closed the distance between them even more. 

Tony’s hand bunched in the fabric of Peter’s shirt before he slid his hand inside to brush across his bare back. Tony had kissed the skin of Peter’s back. He knew what the knobs of his spine tasted like. Tony’s hips shifted and he groaned again as the toy sitting inside him rubbed his prostate. “I think about you, too,” Peter told Tony as those long fingers moved down Tony’s stomach. “I think about the first time I saw your stomach. It was just a little.” Peter’s fingers ran along the skin low on Tony’s stomach. “You were reaching for something, I could see this.” Peter’s hand ran up Tony’s side then across low on his stomach again. 

“You’re killing me,” Tony groaned. 

Peter’s hand moved the scant few inches to wrap his fingers around Tony’s cock. “Damn,” Peter said with a weird little smile on his lips. He gave Tony’s cock a stroke, pulling a desperate groan from Tony. “So weird touching someone else’s.” Peter’s thumb ran under the head of Tony’s cock, getting his hips hopping a little. “You’ve been at this awhile,” Peter asked. 

“I was treating myself,” Tony told Peter. He watched Peter’s thin fingers stroking, squeezing. “This isn’t going to last long,” Tony warned. Peter smiled and seemed to take that as a challenge. Peter reached down and pulled his shirt off, throwing it on the floor as he straddled Tony’s thighs. “Fuck.” 

Peter gave him a cockeyed grin as his hand moved back to Tony’s cock, stroking a little more regularly right now. “Not yet… but we’re getting closer,” Peter told him with a wink. Peter leaned in to kiss Tony again, pressing his bare chest to Tony’s as Peter’s denim-covered lower half rolled against Tony while they kissed. Tony’s hand ran through Peter’s hair, pushing it back off his forehead and tugging just a little. Peter groaned and leaned back in to kiss Tony breathless. 

“Peter, please.” Tony was hurting by this point and pleaded with his eyes as well as his words. It was all exploration and learning for Peter, but Tony needed more right now. He needed to finish so he could think straight. Peter’s hand moved to Tony’s balls, giving them some attention, but looking up surprised when he touched the base of the toy holding it in place inside Tony. “I really need to finish.” Peter nodded and went to work, his hand wrapping around Tony’s cock. From this angle it would be more like touching himself and Tony felt Peter click into what must have been a familiar rhythm for him. “Yes…” Tony danced closer to the edge as Peter kissed his throat and down his shoulder. “Peter…” 

Tony came hard, hips jerking up hard as he came. “Woah,” Peter paused a moment and Tony’s eyes bulged out of his head, his hand wrapping around Peter’s to keep him moving. 

“Do not stop,” was all he could grit out through his teeth as he painted both their stomachs and chests. He came for what felt like forever and finally collapsed back against the headboard panting and pawing at Peter’s hand. “… come here.” He pulled at Peter, making the boy lay next to him while Tony caught his breath. 

“That… that was a lot,” Peter ran his finger down the side of a long streak of seed. “Do you always…”

“No, that was … it’s been a few days,” Tony was panting, one hand on his chest, the other around Peter’s shoulders, holding him close. 

“Still,” Peter whistled. Tony turned his head, catching the underside of Peter’s jaw with a soft, sucking kiss. He groaned and Tony moved one hand to the young man’s chest. “It hasn’t been a few days for me,” Peter pointed out, “but that didn’t stop… ohhhhh.” Tony’s hand closed around Peter through the denim of his jeans. Tony knew that feeling, learning how different it felt to have someone else touch you instead of your own, familiar hand. “Tony.” Peter caught Tony’s lips as his hands fumbled with the button of his jeans. 

“Can I touch you,” Tony asked softly. His lips lingered over a freckle near Peter’s adams apple, kissing it as Peter pushed his pants to his thighs. 

“Yes, of course,” Peter was exasperated as he brought Tony’s hand to the front of his underwear. Tony got his first real touch moments later when Peter impatiently shoved those down too. “God,” Peter’s hips jumped when Tony’s hand wrapped around him. Just like the young man himself, Peter’s cock was long lean. It was also rock hard in Tony’s hand as he stroked. He toyed with the head, giving Peter a tight ring to push into as Tony’s lips moved across his shoulder. 

Tony pushed Peter onto his back, brow raised to make sure that was ok. Peter didn’t seem to care in the least, just moving to sit up a little, eager as hell. Tony pulled the rest of Peter’s clothes off, tossing them to the floor before resting against him. It got a shudder from Peter whose hands gripped Tony’s shoulder blades hard. The frottage was short lived, Peter going off within minutes of Tony pressing against him. Peter lay there afterwards, shuddering in Tony’s arms and all Tony could think was that this boy was going to be his undoing, but right now he didn’t care.


	11. Chapter 11

“Boss, May Parker just entered Stark Tower. She seems agitated.” Tony’s heard flipped over in his chest. Tony was relatively sure he was having another heart attack as his entire future passed behind his eyes. He’d worried about this from the first moment he looked at Peter in not so platonic terms. What happened when people found out because stuff like this was never secret for long? Hell, Natasha already knew and who else? 

He got ready for a fight, taking a few deep breaths before responding. “Send her up. Quietly please.” Tony went to his bedroom and changed his shirt, wanting to not look like a total slob while she destroyed him. He was on his way to the bar when the elevator opened. “Over here,” he directed as he poured himself a tumbler of scotch. 

“Mr. Stark,” May said a little nervously. “Security knew who I was…” 

“Friday?” Tony asked.

“Actually, Ms. Parker, it was me. I’m programmed with facial recognition software so I can alert Mr. Stark when there are potential visitors.” 

“Drink,” Tony asked as he nodded to the bar. 

“Um… no thanks. I just… I needed a minute of your time if that’s ok.” This was not what Tony was expecting. She hadn’t swung at him or called him any number of colorful phrases Tony had already called himself a thousand times. He told his anxiety to dial it back a minute as he waved to the couch for her to sit. “Thank you. I’m a little worried about Peter.” 

“Figured as much.” She looked at him a bit strange. “Why else would you be here?” 

“Point,” May nodded. “Well… he’s been quiet lately. That, in and of itself isn’t unusual. He’s a very private boy.” Tony stayed near the bar, nodding as she spoke. “But lately he’s been distant but happy. Now at first I thought he might have a little girlfriend.” _Way off on that one,_ Tony thought. “But Peter’s never been much on relationships. He’s always been shy around girls.” 

“So what do you think is going on?” Tony came a bit closer, perching on the arm of the sofa as he sipped his scotch. 

“I don’t know. But I’m worried. He spends a lot of time with you Mr. Stark.”   
“Tony,” he corrected. “And the kid’s brilliant. He’s an asset in the lab.” Tony meant both. Still, his heart was about to pound out of his chest with fear. 

“Tony,” she smiled. “It really is good to hear that. Peter can get over excited and cling. Let me know if he’s around too much.” 

“Doubt that’ll be a problem. He’s always welcome here. He’s got full access to the lab floors.” Tony nodded to the glass floor where you could see the lab directly underneath. “And to the fridge.”  
“Oh gosh, he does eat a lot,” May laughed. “… so… maybe Peter doesn’t have a girl in his life, then. Maybe it’s not drugs or anything weird… he’s got his first real lab.” Tony smiled tightly, knowing it was a great excuse for a lot of things. “It’s like him to fall in love with technology. I should have seen it before. Hell, the tracker on his phone says he’s here all the time. If he’s got full access he could be down here and no one would even know.” 

“There are safety protocols, and there’s Friday.” 

“Friday?”

“That’s me,” Friday told May from her speaker above them. “The laboratories are monitored constantly and when one of my hot list check in, I take over monitoring.”

“Hot list,” May asked. 

“List of people I want her looking out for. Myself, friends, Avengers,” Tony said. 

“O… oh,” she smiled and stood, walking over to Tony and taking his hand. “Thank you so much, Tony. I feel… you have no idea how much better I feel. Peter can be a fragile boy and I worry about him. I’m glad you and Friday are watching after him.” 

Tony figured that taking the compliment and thanks with a smile and nod were part of the punishment. He watched May leave a few minutes later and the minute she left, Tony tossed back the rest of his scotch and headed for the bar.


	12. Chapter 12

Peter came over a few days later to find Tony on the same bender he’d started when May had left. “Oh my God. You smell so bad,” Peter held his hand over his mouth and nose. “Tony, what the hell?” Tony was stumbling around, delirious between booze and lack of sleep. “Hey… hey…” Peter took Tony’s hands, holding them tight and making him stop. “What’s going on?” 

“I can’t do this.” Tony pulled his hands back, stepping a few paces away. “I… Peter, do you understand that my inventions are responsible for deaths upon deaths…. and yet if anyone knew what you and I were… that would be worse to everyone out there.” Tony’s words were parsed out and slurred, but things he’d considered long and hard. 

“Tony, we’ve talked about this. Nothing’s going to happen. We’re careful, and when I’m older and you’re ready we’ll let people know. It’s fine.” 

“It’s not fine,” Tony shook his head. “May came over here.”

“I know, you called me. Tony, do you not remember talking to me?” Peter’s concerns were etched onto his sweet face. Tony didn’t like that he was the reason Peter’s face was scrunched up like that. “We talked about it, about how she left feeling ok.” 

“But I had to sit here, to look at her and know…” Tony was ripped up on the inside. 

“We’re not doing anything wrong,” Peter told Tony. Tony didn’t believe him. He _knew_ this was shady at best. “Tony, I love you.” 

“That’s not going to be enough when I get hauled to jail,” Tony told Peter sharply. It was his usual M.O. Tony would hurt and want those he loved to hurt just as much because, really… why should he be alone in his pain? “This is illegal.”

“So’s weed,” Peter reasoned. “And jaywalking.” He took Tony by the shoulders, squeezing hard. “We’re not hurting anyone. I want this. I want YOU,” Peter told Tony plainly. “And I know it’s the same for you.” Peter’s voice was a little worried, like he needed the reassurance. “I can see it when we’re working in the lab, and when we eat together, but especially right before you kiss me.” Peter’s fingers ran through Tony’s undoubtedly greasy hair. “Now let’s stop talking about this and get you in the shower. You smell horrible.” 

“I am pretty ripe,” Tony said after getting a whiff of himself. Peter’s fingers stroked his cheek. “And pretty scruffy I’m sure.” 

“… you should keep that. At least until after I leave.” Peter winked and Tony wanted to kiss him. Peter’s lips were a soft pink in a bow, almost begging for it. Tony was distracted by Peter’s mouth and stumbled, Peter catching him before Tony hit the floor. “I wish you would have called me. If you get like this again, call. Don’t do this to yourself,” Peter asked Tony softly as he opened the door to the bathroom and led Tony in. “I know Friday is always looking out for you, but I don’t want you tormenting yourself like this again.” 

Tony just stood there, watching as Peter turned on the shower heads. Peter had led him to Tony’s shower, turning on all the shower heads and testing the temperature. When he was satisfied, Peter came to Tony and reached for the hem of his shirt. “Let’s peel this off.” Peter talked while he stripped Tony down, doing it efficiently but also kind of sweetly. 

Peter led Tony to the shower but made him wait a minute, pulling his own shirt off. “You have almost fallen four times since I got here. I’m not letting you go in the shower alone.” Tony actually couldn’t argue with that, and he didn’t even bother to turn away as Peter undressed. Whereas Tony was more olive toned, Peter was pink. From those pretty lips to the head of his cock, there were these pops of pink that Tony was drawn to. He reached out and ran his fingers down Peter’s bare side. “Tony, you’re drunk,” Peter pointed out as he walked Tony into the shower. 

“That doesn’t mean I don’t want to get on my knees and suck you off right now,” Tony pointed out. He seldom got that explicit with Peter, but right now that was all he could think about. “If I’m going to jail or hell for this, I want to at least know what you taste like first.” The water was pouring down over them and Tony searched Peter’s face. He moved closer, feeling predatory for a moment despite the fact that the shower was currently spinning. “Let me suck your cock.” 

“Yes.” Peter looked shocked at how quickly he answered. That was cute and Tony told himself to remember that. “I… you’re sure, though. You’re drunk.”

“You keep saying that,” Tony sighed before giving Peter a push in the direction of the stone bench along the wall. There was a steam cloud there to keep you warm while you relaxed. While that would envelop Peter, Tony would have the shower heads beating down on his skin. He reached out, stroking up the inside of Peter’s leg before dropping to his knees in front of the boy. “You have a really pretty cock.”

“Pretty,” Peter asked with a wrinkled nose. Clearly he did not appreciate the compliment in the same terms Tony had meant it. 

“Yeah… look… pale, soft skin,” Tony leaned in to run his lips along the shaft of Peter’s half hard cock, feeling him start to fill almost immediately. “And a rosy head,” Tony looked up through his lashes as he wrapped his mouth around the head of Peter’s cock for the first time. Peter swore and dug his fingers into Tony’s shoulder. “Tight, heavy balls,” Tony pointed out as he moved his mouth down the side of Peter’s shaft to his balls. Peter swore again, the most Tony had ever heard him curse. Tony got his first peek at Peter’s hole and groaned deeply, reaching down to adjust himself. “And you’re long,” Tony concluded, looking up at Peter as he rested his head against Peter’s belly, running the tip of his tongue along a pretty blue vein. “I like a long cock.” 

“Tony, I…” Peter was trembling just a little bit and Tony looked up. “Wow that’s….” For a mind like Peter’s to be unable to complete a sentence said a lot to Tony. Tony wrapped his lips around the head of Peter’s cock, sucking as the water wetted down his hair, making it stick to Tony’s scalp. He could feel the funk of the past few days washing off as he started to bob on Peter’s rapidly hardening prick. “Wh… whoa…too much…” Tony pulled back to find Peter nearly hyperventilating. “Oh my God. Oh my God… why haven’t we been doing this the whole time,” Peter asked, getting a genuine laugh from Tony. 

“Slow, remember?” 

“Yeah, right,” Peter scoffed as Tony’s thumbs worked up high on Peter’s thighs. He was rubbing into the long tendons that ran into the boy’s groin and across his stomach. Tony moved in and wrapped his lips around Peter’s balls, working on one then the other as he gave the young man a minute to recover so as not to embarrass himself. Tony’s jaw worked, his scruff rubbing over the very tender skin behind Peter’s balls and all along the inside of his ass cheeks. Tony had pulled Peter forward so that his ass hung off the edge a bit, giving Tony room to work. 

Without thinking, Tony’s tongue shifted back, running up behind Peter’s balls then down the ribbon of flesh to his hole. Tony’s addled mind had been working on instinct and desire, not perceiving the line he was crossing and if Peter might not be ready. “Holy shit.” Peter’s hands covered his mouth as Tony’s tongue ran around his hole. He didn’t say no or stop Tony, in fact Peter’s whole body was shuddering. “Tony…” He started to chant Tony’s name softly, running his hands through Tony’s hair over and over. 

He pulled back, looking up at Peter, “turn around.” Peter looked at him questioningly before he did as he was asked. Tony didn’t take long at all to part Peter’s cheeks and tease him to a moaning mess with his mouth. Tony’s hard cock was rubbing against Peter’s calf as he devoured the boy, both of his hands otherwise occupied. One was at Peter’s hip, guiding him and keeping him close. The other was pumping Peter’s cock slowly. “Tell me when you’re close,” was all Tony said before burying himself in his work. 

Within minutes, Peter was crying for mercy and Tony knew it was close. Tony turned, sitting with his back to the bench, head tilted back before he pulled Peter forward. No instruction was needed as Tony guided Peter’s cock to his mouth. Peter groaned and gasped while Tony sucked him, making the most divine noises the closer he got to orgasm. When Peter spilled, it was a lot and he was incredibly loud, almost losing his balance. Tony grabbed him, though, pulling Peter in closer as his cries got louder. Peter’s fingers tightened in Tony’s hair as his hips jerked a last few times, the last drops he had to offer gone. 

Tony was stroking himself hard and fast, swallowing the last of what Peter had to offer before rubbing his cheeks along Peter’s thighs and the underside of his cock. He alternated it with kissing and sucking tender spots on Peter’s pink cock and soft thighs. Tony came surrounded by Peter’s scent, by the feel of him, the taste. For the first time since May had left, Tony sincerely wished that he wasn’t drunk. He wanted to remember every second of this, every iota of information about the young man he was so desperately in love with.

They ended up both on the bench sort of folded onto each other as the water pounded and the steam poured. “I… did not expect that.” 

Tony smiled at Peter a little. “Me either. But …. man,” Tony’s fingertips brushed his bottom lip, feeling how they’d swelled from sucking on Peter. 

“Yeah, I didn’t expect it to feel like that either. It was… so much better.” Peter picked up the washcloth and started to gently clean Tony up. “I love how good you are to me.” Peter stroked Tony’s cheek before leaning over to kiss him. It was clear Peter was at least a little worried about what he’d find, but Tony knew from the few times he’d rinsed out his mouth after, that Peter was mostly going to taste clean water. They sat there for awhile kissing, their hands seeking out tender spots to stroke along the insides of elbows or the edge of the ribs. 

In the end, Peter eventually got up and helped get Tony scrubbed clean. He also called May to tell her he was staying over at the lab tonight to work on some extra credit. Peter sat a naked Tony on the edge of the bed and went to the bowl of fruit that Tony kept on his dresser, picking out an orange and a pear. Tony was made to eat both and drink a bottle of water as Peter towel dried his hair. Tony’s eyes were closed part of the time, lost in the sensation of someone caring for him this much. “Take these.” Peter offered up some pain killers with another bottle of water. “Finish the bottle.” 

Then Peter pulled back the blankets and got Tony in bed, tucking him in carefully before peeling back the other side and getting in next to him. If Tony were a better man, he’d have told Peter to sleep in his own room. What Tony really wanted, though, was Peter next to him just like this. Tony could have tried to be the better man, but he wasn’t. Right now he couldn’t be. Right now all he wanted was to get some sleep next to a man he was crazy in love with. It scared the hell out of him, but not enough to make Tony push Peter away when the boy came close. 

“Thank you for that. Maybe tomorrow you’ll teach me about returning the favor?” Tony’s head spun at the thought but he nodded, catching Peter’s lips in a slow, deep kiss. “Good,” Peter said softly, his breath quite quick. “Glad we settled that.” Peter’s fingers played with a bit of hair on Tony’s chest, running his nails over the skin until Tony groaned. “Sorry, I just…”

“.. don’t get to do this,” Tony supplied and Peter nodded. “It’s ok. You can do whatever you want, Peter.” Tony meant it sincerely. No matter what Peter asked for, Tony would find a way to do it for him, to get it for him, or to make it for him. Peter was Tony’s world and Tony was far too selfish to let his world be unhappy.


	13. Chapter 13

“You have really long eyelashes,” Peter told Tony as they laid in bed the next morning. 

“I do,” Tony asked as he batted those eyelashes at Peter. He had a headache, but it wasn’t nearly what it would have been if Peter weren’t there to take care of him last night. Peter was smiling, his hair dusting Tony’s brow as he leaned in to kiss him. 

“You do. I could feel them against my skin last night. You were all curled in,” Peter pulled Tony close so that they could press against each other. “And you put your head…” Tony nuzzled in at Peter’s neck, knowing exactly the posture the boy was talking about. “Yeah, that. It woke me up.”  
“Sorry,” Tony asked with a little smile. 

“For that? Never.” Peter smiled, a wide, happy smile that warmed Tony from the inside out. His lips ran up Peter’s throat, over his prominent adams apple to the soft part under his jaw between the bones. “I like waking up like this,” Peter groaned. 

“Me too,” Tony ran his lips over Peter’s shoulder, kissing the freckles as he went. “Can’t do it again for awhile though.” Reason had to win out sometimes, Tony figured. Peter frowned and Tony traced his lips with the tip of his index finger. “But we have the rest of the day right?” Peter nodded. “So we forget the rest of it, lay in bed or go to the lab, eat, whatever we want to do,” Tony told Peter. “We can have today.” He could do with escaping the realities of their situation for awhile. This little sleep over was the perfect excuse to blow off some steam. He did still have a hangover, but that was hardly a new thing. 

“So… what do you want to do,” Peter asked as his fingers walked down Tony’s chest. 

“Particle physics?” Tony’s fingertips ran up the back of Peter’s hand, nails scraping along Peter’s forearm. “Maybe some chemistry?” Peter moved, straddling Tony and flattening his hips out against Tony’s. “We could talk about friction…” Peter’s mouth latched onto Tony’s collar bone. “Suction….” 

“Or you could pass me the lube,” Peter pointed out. The way Peter had grown in his confidence, in knowing what he wanted and getting it, blew Tony away. It didn’t take long for Peter’s slick hand to wrap around Tony’s cock. He got a few pumps before Peter slicked his own cock up. Tony helped Peter line them up, his lips playing along Peter’s shoulder as their cocks lined up. “That’s good,” Peter told Tony with a nod. “I … mmmm.” Peter let out a soft groan as Tony’s hands wrapped around them both, squeezing their cocks together. 

Peter’s was longer but Tony’s was thicker. Against each other, Tony was able to press the head of his cock in under the head of Peter’s so that every time he moved, the hard, wet head would rub up the underside of Peter’s. It didn’t take long for both of them to be breathless and groaning. “Peter,” Tony’s voice wrapped around the boy’s name with such love it was almost unrecognizable. Every encounter with Peter was beyond intense, the attraction marrow-deep. Even when he’d barely known him, Tony was drawn to Peter. Tony was transfixed by Peter’s eyes, watching as the boy’s pleasure grew. 

Tony kissed Peter hard and focused on keeping the young man on the edge. Peter was glorious when he was on the verge, all long beautiful limbs working to build the pleasure in waves of muscle contractions. Tony shifted, getting a look from Peter as he got out from under Peter and turned on his stomach. Tony put a pillow under his hips and pulled Peter in. “Put it between my legs,” was all the direction Peter needed. He flattened himself to Tony’s back, gasping when Tony tightened his thighs. He gave Peter a nice tight channel to fuck into and it didn’t take long for Peter to be doing just that. His hips jerked as Peter’s long fingers ran down Tony’s arms and laced their fingers together. Peter was flat against Tony, his hips figuring everything out as his mouth ran out of words and switched to just sounds. 

Tony felt the liquid heat of Peter’s orgasm against his thighs as the boy breathed desperate whispers into Tony’s ear. Peter’s body collapsed onto Tony entirely, his hips still rolling, pushing Tony’s hips into the pillow with each shift. “Keep… Keep going.” Tony pulled the pillow out from under his hips and took his cock in hand. At this angle, Peter was really pressing in, the top of his cock fucking between Tony’s balls all while Peter sucked his earlobe. “Peter…” His hips moved harder, the boy’s softening cock never quite getting too soft to give Tony the right pressure. Between that and his own hand pumping furiously, Tony was cumming on the sheets shortly thereafter. “Love you,” Tony gasped as he turned a little and kissed Peter’s wrist. His lips ran just over his pulse. “Love you so much.”


	14. Chapter 14

Tony had just gotten off the phone with Peter and had a soft little smile on his lips. They hadn’t talked about anything in particular, just the sound of his voice was enough to lower Tony’s blood pressure and deflect his thoughts from the insanity happening elsewhere in the world. Steve was still in the wind along with the rest of his team and every day Tony got word of a sighting and deflected any interest by changing signals and rerouting information. He didn’t know quite why he did it, just that he did. Seeing his friends in jail had rattled Tony, and he didn’t want to see that again. 

“Who is she?” Rhodey asked. “Or he,” he corrected, hands up. His prosthesis was working well, doing what it should do, but it was still painful for Tony to see him in it. 

“I think I want pizza tonight. Do you think you’re going to be around for dinner? Friday, pull up a few of my favorite place’s menus.” 

“Oh, it must be good if you’re deflecting like that.” Rhodey shook his head. “The last time you were like this you were figuring out that you had the hots for Pepper.” Tony cringed at her name, hating how that had ended. Pepper deserved so much better than him. As a matter of fact, so did Peter. The thought hurt, but he was far too selfish to contemplate it deeply. He knew that he needed Peter by now and wasn’t going to let go of him. “Do I know them?” 

“Rhodey, it’s … it’s nothing. Are you going to eat dinner here, or not?” Tony was getting frustrated. 

“You know you’re either going to have to tell me or I’m going to figure it out.” Tony hated that he knew that was true, and that was scary. Tony knew Rhodey wouldn’t be ok with this, with him and Peter. There was no way he was going to be able to talk to his best friend in the world about the person Tony loved. “Hey,” Rhodey said, “you don’t want to say right now, I got you. It’s cool. But she must be something special if you’re not saying anything.” Tony just nodded a little and Rhodey went to the bar, pouring them both a drink. “X-Box?” 

“Yeah,” Tony agreed easily, glad for the change of subject. They usually stood while they played just for Rhodey to practice balance and coordination. Tony trash talked as they played, hoping he was recovering enough, that Rhodey wouldn’t latch onto the idea of him and whomever he was with. Tony didn’t need someone who knew him that well looking more closely. Rhodey had put up with a lot from him over the years. Being in love with Peter was not something Tony thought his best friend would ever be able to palate. 

They played and talked a little, but mostly they just waited for the pizza. It came a little late and they were just starting when Tony’s phone went off. He glanced at the text, his lips playing up a little and before he could stop him, Rhodey grabbed the phone and saw who the text was from. Nothing in his and Peter’s texts was really out of the ordinary. They were careful about anything that left a trail. Tony watched the wheels turn as he grabbed his phone back. “He finished the plans for a prototype that’s been pissing me off. If I think left, he thinks right.” 

“Yeah, I noticed he was around a lot. Really smart kid.” Rhodey seemed to be processing the whole thing and went back to his pizza. “What kind of prototype is it?” While Rhodey was a smart guy, Tony could technospeak him to the point his eyes crossed. So that was what he did until Rhodey put his hands up in surrender. “So smart isn’t even the word for this kid.”

“Pretty much. It’s a shame that he’s stuck in that shithole school in Queens.” Tony shook his head. “He needs to be somewhere that he’s challenged, that that beautiful brain’s stretched and expanded.” Tony actually felt incredibly passionate about the fact that Peter’s school was subpar. Peter was capable of anything he put his mind to, but that wasn’t going to happen in Queens. Tony had offered to pay for a private school, even to try to find one close to May’s apartment, but Peter refused. He liked his school and studied what he wanted outside school hours. 

“Make him the recipient of the Tony Stark Bullshit School Scholarship or something,” Rhodey suggested.

“Tried. He refused.” Tony sighed in exasperation. “He’s this… principled thing.” Tony moved his hands like he was trying to get a real grasp on this totally foreign idea of principles. “It’s weird,” he wrinkled his nose. “I don’t get it.”

“You talk shit about yourself, but it took guts to do what you did with Steve and the others. You stood up when you felt something had to be done.” Rhodey reached out for another slice of pizza. “That’s principles.”

“That,” Tony said softly, “was guilt.” 

“Yeah, that too.” Rhodey took a big bite. “But that’s life, man. Guilt, regret, all of it. You can’t let that stuff live in your head.” Unfortunately he said it with food in his mouth so Tony couldn’t look at him. 

“Gah… “ Tony waved his hand at Rhodey, looking annoyed. 

“Sorry,” Rhodey put his napkin in front of his mouth. “But I mean it. You’re not as bad a guy as you think you are.” The guilt was eating at Tony hard now and he finished his drink and got up to have another one. “Get me one, too?” Tony was incredibly grateful that Rhodey changed the subject and kept it changed. To his credit, Rhodey didn’t bring up Tony’s relationship at all. That gave Tony a little time to recover and catch his breath as Rhodey kicked his ass in Grand Theft Auto.


	15. Chapter 15

“I’d like to show him the lab,” Peter told Tony as they sat down to eat at the table in the room next to the lab. “Is that ok?”

“You’re asking me if you can give the son of a major technological rival can tour my private lab,” Tony asked with a raised brow.

“Um….”

“You trust him?” Peter nodded. Tony considered it a moment. “Be smart about what you show him. And Friday is going to keep an eye on him.” 

“Sold,” Peter stuck out his hand to shake Tony’s and he took his hand with a roll of his eyes. Peter held on a little too long, smiling at Tony. Tony pulled back his hand and gave a subtle shake of his head. It made Peter’s expression fall and that hurt. Tony didn’t like that he was responsible for making the boy feel shitty. That wasn’t right because what they had was incredible and Tony sincerely wished he could stop holding back. They spent most of their time in semi-public. That was areas like the lab where people could potentially walk in, but most likely wouldn’t. The only place they could be themselves, uninhibited and together, was in Tony’s part of the tower. He could put the lab on lockdown, but that would draw attention from the friends who had open access to his lab to do well being checks and he did not need anyone pressing for information or going digging themselves. 

All of this was giving him a headache and Tony moved his foot over to press against the inside of Peter’s calf, holding his eyes. Self-restraint was not one of Tony’s strong points and this relationship was testing the little there was. It was a good thing that he cared enough about self-preservation to not totally fuck himself over by pinning the kid to the wall in the lobby and sucking him until he screamed for mercy. “You ok,” Peter asked softly. 

“Tired,” Tony told Peter honestly. “I’m just tired.” It was clear that Peter wanted to say more, and that was really the problem. “Friday,” Tony said, “is anyone in the lab?”

“No, Boss. You two are the only ones on this floor.” 

“Tell us if that changes.” That was all Tony needed to blur the lines and reach over to take Peter’s hand. “I really want ….” 

“Tony,” Peter asked softly as he stood and circled the table. “You’re in your head.” 

“Always,” Tony told Peter as he looked up into his sweet brown eyes. “But particularly, yes.” Peter ran his fingers through Tony’s hair, getting Tony’s eyes to drift shut. Peter stepped in close and pulled Tony in so the man’s ear was against Peter’s chest. Tony was low, ear right over Peter’s sternum near his heart. Tony was at odds with himself constantly as of late, and the boy holding onto him was the reason why. He didn’t know how long Peter had held onto him or when he’d started to tear up, but when Peter turned his face up, Tony felt like it had been years. 

“We’re almost there. Five weeks, three days, sixteen hours, and twelve minutes. Would you like me to do seconds?” Peter’s fingers carded through Tony’s hair again, getting a soft sigh and a little bit of a purr from the man. “The finish line is in sight.” And while Tony knew it was naive to think of things in those terms, he held onto it. Damn he needed to believe that the moment Peter turned seventeen and it was legal for them to be in a relationship, that it would be magically ok with everyone. 

“Almost there,” Tony agreed. His fingers were gripping Peter’s shirt tight, bunching the fabric and pulling it taut over Peter’s side. 

“You need to lay down, Tony. What if we do this,” Peter asked as he squatted down in front of Tony, giving him an encouraging smile. “We finish our food, then we go upstairs. You change into your pajamas, get in bed, and I read to you for awhile. Whatever you want.” Tony wondered for a moment if Peter might have caught Friday reading aloud to Tony some nights when he couldn’t sleep. Still, having Peter read to him would be even better. 

“… ok. But only if you do different voices for Charolette and Wilbur.” Peter’s brows knitted and Tony smiled, “Unless you had something else in mind.” 

“… you’re asking me to read you _Charolette’s Web_?” Tony nodded. “… you’re a strange man, Tony Stark. I’m just glad you didn’t say _Along Came a Spider_. I’m not much for true crime.”


	16. Chapter 16

Tony had to take a trip overseas, and by the time he got back, it had been a week and a half since he’d seen Peter. Tony had been beside himself, barely able to talk to Peter the whole trip. Most of their conversations had been text based and short. He’d made a point to talk to Peter every day, though. It was a concession Pepper had asked of him years ago and something that Tony liked to do and secretly pat himself on the back for. So far, the commitment hadn’t been a hardship in the least. Tony found himself looking forward to hearing Peter’s voice every day. So, having been twelve days since he’d seen the young man he was in love with, by the time he got home, to say Tony was pent up was an understatement. 

The problem was that as soon as Tony came home, Peter was on the road to a presentation at MIT. That was what had Tony on a plane to Boston within two hours of touching down in New York. It was impulsive and probably suicidal, but Tony decided that if he beat Peter there, it couldn’t be perceived as him coming to see Peter to the outside world. He’d drop by his alma mater, be there for the presentation, and hopefully score a few minutes with the young man. Tony was beside himself not just because he’d been very good and hadn’t stepped outside their relationship while he was gone, but also because he wanted to be able to speak to Peter face-to-face, to see him roll his eyes or hold his hand. That was part of what Tony understood meant he really was in love with Peter and that this wasn’t just infatuation. He hadn’t thought of someone in terms like that since Pepper. That was scary, but also gratifying because Tony didn’t know if he’d be able to love anyone after her. 

Tony had expected to find Peter in some third rate hovel on a school trip. What he found was that Peter was staying with Harry and Norman Osborn in the same hotel that he was. Tony also hadn’t expected to see them walk into the same dining room he’d been sitting in for the past hour and a half. The thing that he expect the very most was to see Harry Osborn run his stupid hand over Peter’s shoulder like he owned him and for Peter to smile at the young Osborn. Tony had picked a table in the corner near the window where he had an excellent view of the river and Boston. He’d been sitting there working some math in a notebook while he ate, just enjoying being in a city he liked waiting to see Peter. And when he did it was a kick in the teeth. 

Tony knew Norman’s son was a close friend of Peter’s, but Tony _knew_ what the path Harry’s hand took down Peter’s shoulder. It was incredibly familiar and incredibly intimate, especially given the adoring look Peter gave Harry. Tony knew this was jealousy, but he’d been wary of Harry Osborn before he’d seen this. Peter had waved it off as Tony being unduly jealous. Now he didn’t know what the hell to do, so when the waitress came past he ordered another bottle of wine. He’d gone through two bottles in the two hours he’d been here, and while his math was sloppy it wasn’t incorrect. Tony’s attention to his math faded while he watched Harry Osborn stand a little too close to Peter, smile a little too wide. Norman was an overly smiley, strange man who wasn’t nearly as intelligent as Tony but who somehow recruited decent enough staff to make decent products, and decent was a kind way to describe them. In Tony’s mind, he was marginally better than Justin Hammar. 

Tony couldn’t hear what was being said, so his mind supplied all the dialogue. The two would probably be sharing a room tonight, and Tony couldn’t get his mind free from the thought that they might be sharing a bed. He kept telling himself it was irrational, that it was wrong, but the jealousy was very real for him. Unnervingly so. Tony did the best he could not to overthink but by the time his phone was to his ear, in what would no doubt be a truly spectacular drunken dial, he knew he was on the verge. Across the room, he saw Peter glance down and a little smile play at his lips. Peter sent the call to voicemail but seconds later Tony got a text explaining that he was somewhere he couldn’t talk but that he’d call later tonight. That made Tony feel better but it didn’t stop him from finishing that bottle of wine. 

Peter’s call came around midnight and by that point Tony was back upstairs in his suite utterly wasted. “Frank’s Bar and Grill, you kill it we grill it.” 

“Hey,” Peter sounded tired but also kind of breathlessly excited. Tony could tell that he was tucked away in a hallway somewhere by the echo on his phone. 

“Hey.” The relief that flooded through Tony when he heard Peter’s voice was absolute. He missed Peter deeply and that was why he did something incredibly stupid, something he’d been fighting himself not to do for the past two hours. “Listen, I can’t talk on the phone. Maybe you want to come up to 2762 and we can chat.” Then he hung up. Tony could almost see Peter thinking about it floors below, wondering if he’d heard correctly. 

It only took a few minutes more than Tony thought it might before there was a quiet knock on his door. He’d been waiting. Tony checked through the peephole and saw a very nervous looking Peter standing in the hall. _God he’s pretty_ , Tony thought before pulling the door open. “Holy crap,” Peter hissed. “What the hell!?” 

But Tony wasn’t exactly in the mood to talk. Instead he grabbed Peter’s wrist and pulled him inside, pushing the door shut and flipping the security bolt. He did all this while crushing his lips to Peter’s and pinning him against that same door. “I couldn’t wait two more days,” Tony finally told Peter when they broke for air. 

“What?” Peter’s cheeks were flushed and so incredibly soft under Tony’s fingertips. How was he so soft? How was he so beautiful? 

“I got home right as you were leaving and it was going to be another two days until….” Peter kissed him, wrapping his arms around Tony’s neck. The young man climbed Tony like a tree, ending up with his legs wrapped around Tony’s waist and his arms around Tony’s neck. They were still there against the door, Tony finally having to pull away so he could catch his breath as Peter’s mouth moved to Tony’s throat. 

“You came here to see me.” Peter’s lips moved against Tony’s collar bone, his nose pushing the fabric of Tony’s undershirt aside. “How did you know I was staying here?” He didn’t sound upset, Tony was glad to report. Peter actually sounded pleased. 

“I didn’t,” Tony laughed, looking up at Peter. “I had no idea.” His fingers ran down Peter’s arms to his waist. “I was going to show up to MIT tomorrow before the speech and surprise you. I thought it was a school trip. Didn’t realize you were here with the Osborns.”

“Yeah… well that’s because you don’t like Harry.” Tony’s brain latched onto the name, frowning deeply. “Or is it just Mr. Osborn?” 

“I don’t know anything about Harry other than that he puts his hands on you a lot,” Tony said, letting Peter climb down as he pulled back. “I was having dinner downstairs when you came in.”

“Yeah, smells like dinner,” Peter quipped. 

“I was trying to relax,” Tony pointed out. “And …”

“Harry’s just an affectionate guy,” Peter told Tony as he came into the suite to look around a little. “He always has been.”

“That’s because he’s in love with you,” Tony told Peter. The boy turned around, staring at him like he’d been slapped in the face. “I know the look,” Tony pointed to his own face. 

“Tony, you’re drunk.”

“Yeah, but I’m also right,” he told Peter as he walked over to him, sliding his hand from Peter’s shoulder to his hand like Harry had at dinner. Peter shuddered. “Exactly. Peter,” Tony sighed. “I… Actually I don’t doubt you.” Tony stepped back, his face screwing up a moment as he realized it wasn’t about what Peter might do, but because someone else was looking at Peter. “I trust you.” Tony smiled and repeated himself: “I trust you.” It was huge for Tony. 

Peter came to Tony again, reaching up to cup his face in both hands. “So you came here for me, you trust me, you think I’m brilliant and pretty…” 

“I think you’re everything,” Tony said softly as he turned to kiss the inside of Peter’s palm. 

“Tony, I’m ready.” Peter looked nervous, like he wasn’t sure that he’d actually just spoken that aloud. Tony’s heart was pounding. Peter was ready… he was _ready_. The weight of the word he’d been waiting for for so long bored into his bones. “I’ve been thinking about it a lot. About you.” Peter’s pink lips pursed a little and Tony leaned in to kiss them. Really, Peter hadn’t needed to say anything more than _I’m ready._ Slow, deep sounds came from Tony’s chest as he kissed Peter. “Take me to bed,” Peter asked nervously. Just because the boy knew what he wanted didn’t preclude him from being nervous. The truth was, Tony was nervous too. When was the last time he’d been nervous like this? _Pepper_ , Tony thought. 

Peter’s hand ran down to take Tony’s, giving him a gentle tug toward the bedroom. Tony was a little wobbly, mostly from booze but some of it was because he was actually incredibly nervous himself. Tony Stark didn’t get nervous about sex. This was so foreign. Still, he followed Peter, watching as the young man paused at the foot of the bed. Tony had been laying in it, so it was rumpled and there was a notepad and a few pencils on the night stand. “Peter, we don’t have….” Tony stopped when he realized Peter was snickering.   
“No, I was just thinking that you are a tech genius and the owner of an enormous tech company and you’re using a steno pad and some number twos.” Peter looked over at Tony with a smile. It was clear that Tony’s need to write it out amused Peter. “I love it.” Peter kissed Tony again, pulling him toward the edge of the bed as Tony tugged at the hem of Peter’s t-shirt. “I love you.” Peter’s mouth ran up Tony’s throat until Peter’s lips wrapped around Tony’s earlobe. His hands tugged at the shirt until he brought it up and over Peter’s head and tossed it on the floor. Peter was already crawling backward up the bed as Tony approached, his own shirt hitting the floor along with his pajama pants. He gave the waist of Peter’s jeans a tug and they came down when aided by Peter quickly unbuttoning them. 

When they were both in just underwear, Tony climbed into bed, starting to kiss Peter on the inside of his right ankle. He worked his way up until Tony was mouthing over Peter’s cock through cotton. “Let me take the edge off,” Tony offered. Peter seemed content and as Tony peeled off his underwear, Peter groaned and ran his fingers through Tony’s hair. Tony was a cock whore stone cold sober, but put a few drinks in him and he went beyond slutty. Right now he devoured Peter, sucking and working the head until the boy was crying out for him. Tony took joy in the way Peter’s hands clawed the sheets, the way his hips bucked as Tony took the length of Peter down his throat over and over. 

Peter shot quickly, which was why Tony wanted to take the edge off. With how drunk he was, Tony wasn’t going to have any trouble keeping himself from going off, but the first time you pushed into someone was intense and he needed this to last longer than two minutes. “Tony,” Peter warned, but Tony doubled down, pushing himself until his nose was pressed to the base of Peter’s cock, throat contracting around his length. He felt Peter shoot and worked his balls for every drop, one hand massaging as Tony’s hips rocked against the bed. “God… Tony…” Peter’s fingers tightened at his shoulders, pushing him back. “Too… too much.” Peter looked like his brain was on the verge of shorting out so Tony took mercy and pulled back. 

Dark eyes followed Tony as he crawled up the length of Peter’s body, slotting himself in at the boy’s side so he could kiss his chest and up the side of his throat. “Holy crap,” Peter panted, grinning. “Tony,” he tugged at Tony’s arms to pull him up so they could kiss. Peter’s hair was stuck to his forehead and Tony pushed it back, tugging just a little bit. “Tony, can I…” His hand moved to the front of Tony’s underwear, squeezing him. 

“You can do whatever you want to me,” Tony told Peter honestly, reaching down to run his hand over Peter’s around his cock. Tony was proud that Peter didn’t bother blushing or stumbling, he just pulled at Tony’s underwear until it was at his thighs. Tony kicked them off and pulled Peter on top of him, his hands running up Peter’s sides. They kissed and Peter rubbed against him for awhile as his hands moved down Tony’s thighs, rasping his leg hair the wrong way and making Tony groan. Tony reached over to the nightstand and pulled out the small bottle of lube and a condom. “I’m always prepared,” he pointed out. “Never was a Boy Scout, though.” 

Peter suddenly looked nervous and Tony felt his heart fall. “Can you… sort of show me? I mean I tried a little on myself,” Peter said with a nervous little smile. “It’s just…” 

“Weird putting a finger up someone else’s butt?” Peter giggled nervously and Tony leaned in to kiss him. 

“Yeah,” Peter agreed.

Tony flipped the cap on the lube and spread a few drops on his index finger. “Shift a little?” Tony shifted his hand down between his legs, not being overly sexy about it, just wanting to get it done because he needed Peter as soon as he could have him. They kissed as Tony fingered himself open, not even making an effort to show Peter what was going on. If he wanted to look, he was welcome to. Tony just wanted to suck on that tasty bottom lip. 

“Tony,” Peter’s hand slid down to his wrist, Peter’s fingers moving up Tony’s palm to where Tony had two fingers inside of himself pushing on the tight ring of muscle hard. “Let me?” Tony nodded, pushing the lube into Peter’s hand and watching as the boy fussed with it, spilling a little too much on his hand. “Crap.” He wrinkled his nose and went to wipe it on his stomach. 

“Stroke yourself.” Tony shifted up onto his elbows to watch Peter. “As soon as you’re hard, I can start.” 

“You’ll be ready?” Peter’s slick hand moved back to Tony’s thigh, moving between his legs until those fingers ran along the skin on their way to his hole. “I don’t want to rush.”

“… a year and a half? Not rushing.” 

“True,” Peter smirked before the tip of his finger pushed in. He gasped and his eyes went wide. Then Peter was fully stuck, focused on opening Tony up much to Tony’s pleasure. Peter had nice, long fingers that seemed to immediately figure out where Tony’s prostate was. Tony’s hips were hopping in a matter of minutes, and after a few minutes of stroking Peter, the young man was hard. “Sh… should I…”

Tony shifted, getting to his knees in front of Peter and giving him another quick suck before sliding the condom down his cock in a practiced motion. When Peter was looking at him, right there and ready, he faltered, his eyes flashing worry. Tony wanted Peter so badly he was practically shaking, but he tried not to rush. God he wanted to rush, he wanted to put his ass in the air and spread his cheeks, but instead he leaned in to kiss Peter slowly, just barely pressing their lips together at first. It took a few moments, but Peter relaxed, pulling back from the kiss. “How should…” Tony shifted to his hands and knees, pushing a pillow under his hips as he laid out, looking over his shoulder at Peter. “Oh….”

Tony’s brow scrunched and he looked over his shoulder. “Problem?” He didn’t realize he was gritting his teeth until he spoke then made a concerted effort to relax his face. 

“No… I just… I wanted to see you. Your face, I mean.” Peter shook his head. “It’s stupid, don’t worry about it,” he leaned forward but Tony reached out to stop him. 

“No… if you really want it that way, that’s fine. Actually, I have a better idea.” Tony moved, pausing to kiss Peter soft and slow. “.. thank you.” 

“For what?” 

“Slowing me down.” Tony had been rushing because he was eager for it to start, but Peter was right. He needed to slow down a little. He’d wanted to get things going, but Peter was Peter. He wanted to connect and that was good. That slowed Tony and made him savor this. “Sit against the headboard. Get comfortable.” Tony reached behind him and fingered himself a moment while Peter moved to the head of the bed. “Right…” He shifted up, straddling Peter and leaning in to kiss him. Yes, this was a far better position to be in. Tony had been going on automatic. Tony flattened himself against Peter, reaching to take Peter’s hand and bring it to the young man’s cock. “Ready?” 

Peter seemed to understand and while it took him a few near misses, he managed to line up eventually. And Tony was incredibly grateful to be face to face with Peter. His fingertips ran around Tony’s hole, getting a deep moan from Tony. But really, it was the look on Peter’s face when he finally pushed inside. It was wonder mixed with adoration and Tony devoured it like a starving man. Peter looked at Tony like the sun shone from Tony’s eyes. The darkest parts of Tony’s brain made loud objections, but as Peter filled him, Tony was able to silence them. 

Peter went slow, pushing a few inches in before stopping. “Wow… that’s… you’re… just… I mean… and did I say wow?” Peter smiled. “Wow. Now I’m really glad you took the edge off. I don’t think I’d have gotten this far.” Peter leaned in, running his teeth down Tony’s chest then shifting in to kiss him. “Can I move,” Peter asked slowly. 

“I may die if you don’t.” Tony ran his hands down Peter’s sides as he pushed himself down, taking Peter in little by little. He forced himself to go slow, to enjoy the moment and to make sure he wasn’t rushing through. He got eager and impatient, which resulted in him losing out on a lot of amazing things. Tony would be lying if he said he hadn’t thought about this more than once. Peter had one of those cocks you just needed to sit on. It was perfect for anal, long and not too thick. The best part, though, was how hard he got and how hard he stayed for a long time after. That Peter was the one going slow, pushing in slowly and kissing Tony’s throat and Tony was the impatient one was a bit of a juxtaposition. 

Peter made the sweetest sounds as he pushed in, making Tony pant and groan because all he wanted was to ride Peter. “Tony,” Peter breathed when Tony finally sunk down all the way, sitting in Peter’s lap totally flush. There was a soft smile on Peter’s lips, sort of wonder through and through as his hands traveled Tony’s chest. “You’re … “ Peter’s mind was clearly not all there as he fought to keep himself from unraveling. “You’re so hot around me.” The observation made Tony smile a little and lean in to kiss Peter. The boy’s hips started to roll and Tony was grateful that Peter seemed to be done trying to make coherent thoughts. 

From then on it was a lot of chanting of Tony’s name and soft grunts as Peter moved. Tony was letting him sort of figure it out by trial and error. A few times he moved too fast or too much of an angle and Tony winced or pulled back. “Sorry… God, sorry. Are you ok?” Peter stroked Tony’s face with his hands, the sweet concern on Peter’s face plucking bass notes in Tony’s gut. 

“I’m ok,” Tony assured Peter, taking the young man’s hands to kiss one then the other. “But let me ok?” He gave Peter a gentle push back against the pillow between him and the headboard so he’d have room to move. Tony started to move, pulling up a few inches then going back down, pulling out a deep groan. “Oh we’re going to work on getting you to make that noise a lot,” Tony told Peter before he leaned in to kiss his boyfriend. It was strange to think of Peter in those terms but strangely unbinding. Tony was in love with the young man and felt loved in return. Love wasn’t usually part of sex for Tony, so when it was the intensity got dialed up to eleven. 

Peter’s mouth focused on Tony’s jaw, working against the bare spots before dragging his teeth over the lines of Tony’s beard. Peter had a good hold on Tony’s waist so he leaned back, planting his palms on Peter’s thighs so he could get some real movement going. “God, Tony….” Peter trembled and jerked as he fought not to cum. “Love… love you,” Peter was breathless. Tony had made a superhuman breathless. There was something incredibly hot about that. Peter had filled all the way out and was on the verge as Tony rode down against him. “Tony I’m…” That was all Peter got out before Tony felt the heat build. 

He kept moving as his hand went to his own cock, stroking hard and fast. Once Peter had cum, Tony kept moving, using the vitality of youth to his advantage. I.E., he knew Peter would stay hard for awhile. Peter leaned in, kissing Tony, his fingers digging into Tony’s shoulder hard enough to bruise. Tony wasn’t far behind Peter, shooting across his chest, landing a good stripe over one very pink nipple. “Holy hell, kid.” Tony kissed Peter’s forehead then down to his temple. They more breathed against each other’s lips than kissed, just basking in closeness for awhile as they softened. 

When he finally decided to move, Tony took Peter’s hand and brought it to the base of his cock. “Hold the condom.” Tony pulled off and took ten seconds to show Peter how to properly tie off a condom before collapsing onto his back, a mile wide smile on his lips. He reached out and took Peter’s hand, bringing it to his lips to kiss Peter’s fingertips. Peter rolled over to rest against Tony’s chest, wrapping his arms around his waist. There was nothing Tony could really say right now so he laid there stroking through Peter’s hair, tracing the bones of his face while they both recovered. 

Peter kissed Tony’s pecs, lazily moving down the inside of one as he shifted and settled. “I can’t stay much longer.” It was starting to get light out and the hotel would be in full swing soon enough. 

“Give me two minutes.” Tony turned his head and kissed Peter’s temple just holding him tight. Tony sincerely thought that he could do that for a considerable amount longer than two minutes. The room went silent and Tony gently stroked through Peter’s hair, slowing down a little each time until he fell fast asleep, Peter having fallen asleep right after Tony kissed his temple. 

Tony woke some time later with Peter at his side, cherubic face soft in the bright sun of midday. “No. no…..” He looked at the clock. “Shit. Fuck. Peter. Wake up. Peter.” He shook the boy a little. “You need to wake up now.” 

Peter started awake, eyes flying open as he sat straight up. “We fell asleep.”

“We fucking fell asleep,” Tony cursed as he got up. “And you smell like a bathhouse. Go shower. No matter what else, you cannot go out there smelling like that.” 

Peter was already on his feet, seeking out his pants and in them his phone. “Hold on. Tony… breathe.” He saw a bunch of texts and a voicemail, all from Harry. He scrolled through. “Hey… Tony…” Peter came back to bed where Tony was trying to convince himself it wasn’t actually a good idea to jump out the window. “Tony. Look. Harry’s covering with his dad and I can figure out what to tell Harry. It’s not good, but it’s not bad.” 

“Yes, yes it is bad. Peter…” Tony’s head was pounding and his mouth was dry and tasted like hell. That’s right, he thought. _Red Wine._ A lot of it, too. Not that that had been responsible for sleeping with the boy, but it hadn’t helped his wavering restraint. “Peter, you need to understand that….” Tony jerked back when Peter reached out and put his hand over Tony’s mouth. 

“Shhhh.” He’d put his phone to his ear. “Hey… Sorry, man. I didn’t realize how late it had gotten. I couldn’t sleep last night.” There was a pause and Tony pulled Peter’s hand from his mouth. “Went out walking like usual. Cambridge is a really cool city.” Peter went on a little while longer, lying to his best friend with a practiced ease that should have been disturbing. In this instance, Peter’s ability to lie meant another three hours with the boy. “Harry, thanks. Yeah, I’ll just catch a cab. And thanks for the quick thinking with your dad.” Peter grimaced like he really might not be a huge fan of Norman Osborn. Tony liked that. 

Peter hung up and ran his fingers through Tony’s hair. “I don’t have to be at MIT until six.” He glanced at the clock as his fingers ran over the shell of Tony’s ear. “It’s only two.” Peter smiled. 

“… fuck you’re sexy,” Tony groaned as he pulled Peter back into bed for a hard kiss. Their second time was more confident, Peter putting Tony on his knees like he had wanted to the first time. Hangover and everything, Tony was in heaven with Peter’s cock inside him. Peter’s lanky frame could wrap around Tony as they fucked, gripping his body, Peter’s fingers taking control of Tony’s wrists. _Oh he’s good_. Peter had Tony chanting his name by the end, face first in the pillow. Peter’s confidence grew with every groan Tony made and every leap in confidence just made Tony groan more. 

By the end, Tony was rubbing himself off against the sheets as Peter ground down into him. In his wildest dreams, this was not what he’d expected when he came to Cambridge but man was he glad he decided to surprise Peter.


	17. Chapter 17

By the time they actually got to the shower, Tony was aching. Peter recovered fast and once the cork was popped on the whole sex thing it was pretty much a free for all. Peter leaned in behind Tony and he thought it was for another round, but Peter was reaching for the shampoo. He poured a bit into his palm before surprising the hell out of Tony and reaching up to wash Tony’s hair. “Oh… “ Peter’s fingers were strong, massaging Tony’s scalp as he kissed his shoulder. “That’s nice.”

“Tilt.” Peter shifted and started to rub over Tony’s temples don to the nape of his neck. “Rinse.” Peter continued to massage Tony’s scalp. It was a really surprising, really sweet thing for Peter to do and Tony was grateful for the water. It hid the fact that he was misting up. Peter planted a soft kiss to the nape of Tony’s neck and he could feel his heart race off the charts for a moment. A long, strong arm wrapped around his waist and Peter pulled Tony back to press them together. “Thank you for surprising me like this.” Tony just nodded, the lump in his throat growing by the second. 

Tony had put on some music when they started round two and had never turned it off it was going quietly in the background. The only reason he paid it any mind at the moment was that Peter was rocking them slowly to the beat. “Are you trying to dance with me?” 

“Trying,” Peter agreed as he turned Tony around, a little smile on his lips. Peter’s eyes drifted shut and he pressed his temple to Tony’s as they swayed. “When are you heading back?” Peter turned them in a slow circle, the water tapping Tony’s skin in different places as they moved. 

“After you leave for the speech.” There was really no reason to stick around in Boston if Peter wasn’t going to be there. “I didn’t think I’d see you until tonight anyway.” Peter’s hand ran down Tony’s spine, stroking over each vertebra. “When is Norman taking you back to New York?” 

“Tomorrow afternoon,” Peter said as his lips stroked over Tony’s collar bone. Tony could feel Peter hardening up and was already part of the way there himself. Sore or not, he wasn’t going to say no to this kid. Ever. “Want me to come over tomorrow night?” 

“How about when you get home you actually have dinner with your aunt?” Tony looked up at Peter. “Then if you want to come work on something in the lab, come over. But you can’t stay out too late. You have a trig test on Monday.” 

“Please,” Peter rolled his eyes. “I finished the book a week into the class while I was riding the train,” Peter sighed. 

“You know why, Peter.” Tony pulled back a little bit, giving him a sharp look. 

“I know, but it was hard enough to stay away from you before.” Peter pulled Tony back into the embrace, rubbing over his spine again. “How about Monday after school I plan on coming to work on our project. I’ll call you tomorrow instead.” Tony felt a deep sense of relief in that. Peter was acknowledging that Tony was still putting his neck way out there by being with Peter. That helped a lot more than Tony expected. 

“When was the last time you were out swinging from buildings,” Tony asked Peter. Much to Tony’s surprise, Peter frowned. “… you need to remember to keep a balance. I mean… coming from me that sounds like a joke I’m sure.” Tony reached back to turn off the water. “But trust me. If you don’t learn to balance it now you’ll regret it. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow… but soon. And for the rest of your life,” Tony quoted with a smirk. 

“That’s overstating it,” Peter laughed. “Hey, hold on.” Peter stepped out and then back into the steamy enclosure with two towels. “I…” he faltered a little bit before he hung his own towel over the glass wall and instead started to dry off Tony. The towel was fresh and soft, the kind you wanted to be wrapped in when you were sick and coming out of the shower. “Let me.” Peter smiled a little and took his time drying Tony off. It was incredibly sweet and Tony found himself caught up short again. “Tony,” Peter asked softly and Tony realized he’d been spaced out for awhile. “Hey.” Peter reached up and brushed his fingertips over Tony’s cheek. “What?” 

“Nothing,” Tony reached up and scrubbed the tears from his cheeks. Peter gave him a look that said he wasn’t buying it and Tony sighed. “You take care of me. No one takes care of me that isn’t paid.” Peter frowned deeply. “I mean it. I just… it’s … it’s nice.” Peter’s lips brushed Tony’s and Tony was damn grateful the boy didn’t say anything else, just pulled Tony into an embrace that lasted well past the steam.


	18. Chapter 18

“You have very large ears,” Tony told Peter as he came up from behind, flicking one. 

“And you have a very large….” Tony shot him a look and Peter corrected course, “nose. I’ve never noticed it.” 

“The better to smell you with, my dear. On that note, you’re kind of ripe. Gym class extra hard today?” Tony tossed Peter a bottle of water from the lab fridge. 

“Nah, just had to catch the Midtown Express on my way over.” He tossed Tony his phone with The Bugle’s website up. J. Jonah Jamison was screaming about Spider-Man, flailing around and bloviating like a walrus hopped up on cocaine. “I could save this guy’s kid, pay off his mortgage, and give him a blowjob and I still wouldn’t make him happy.” 

Tony nearly spit out his juice onto the screen in front of him. “Gross… I mean I know you have a thing for older men. Is it the facial hair? Do walruses get you going, Parker?” 

“Just older men,” Peter said with a little smile before stepping in close. “Especially ones I can legally sleep with.” He reached out and wrapped his arms around Tony’s neck. 

“Jesus, you’re making my eyes water. Go bathe or I’ll have Friday fumigate the whole floor.” Tony gave Peter a little push, joking. The kid did have some body odor going, but it wasn’t _that_ bad.

“I get it.” Peter’s hands moved to Tony’s hips. “You don’t want me now that there’s no danger.” 

Tony was pleased as hell when Peter gasped loudly as he was pulled in tight against Tony. “Two things.” His hand ran down Peter’s spine from the nape of his neck to his tailbone, pulling a soft sound from Peter’s parted lips. “One, I cannot foresee a time when I won’t want you.” His hand slipped under Peter’s shirt, mirroring what the younger man was doing with his hands on Peter’s back. “And Two, I somehow imagine there will always be danger where the two of us are involved.” 

His lips wrapped around Peter’s earlobe before he ran his chin across the soft skin of his throat getting the sweetest moans from Peter. Tony’s hand had slid down the back of his pants, cupping one cheek as the young man rocked against Tony. “I thought I smelled,” Peter joked. 

“You do, I just like it now. I can change my mind,” Tony told him as Peter started to grind them together. They were in the living room of Tony’s private quarters so it wasn’t as though either of them were being particularly shy about noise either. He crushed Peter’s mouth with a kiss, a fingertip stroking between his cheeks over the tight little pucker. They hadn’t gone far in this department and Tony was not rushing by any means. He just liked the way Peter twitched and gripped at the couch when he gave his asshole the slightest bit of attention. 

“Do that again.” Peter licked his bottom lip, pinking it up even more as he looked down at Tony. Tony obliged, the tip of his index finger running up and down over Peter’s hole, just touching. “Holy shit. Tony…” Peter arched over, unbuttoning his pants fast and pushing them down. It was pretty clear that Peter was still on an adrenaline high from this afternoon, but Tony appreciated the moment, the need, because he’d been here himself. “I’ll get the lube. I want you to finger me.” Tony smiled a little thinking about how bold Peter had gotten. 

Tony was shifting to sit up when Peter froze, body tensed. Tony looked up and met eyes with Rhodey. The man looked between the half naked teen and Tony, disgust painting every inch of it. “You can fuck women, you can fuck men. Hookers, trans… whatever, man. Fuck a horse for all I care, but a kid! Tony… come on man. What the fuck are you thinking?” 

“I’m not a kid!” Tony really wished Peter would just keep his mouth closed. “And it’s legal,” Peter argued. 

“… how old are you?” 

“17.” Peter flushed.

“… barely… barely. And just in this state. We’re not talking Federal. Did you cross state lines? Jesus Christ, Tony!” Rhodey pinched the bridge of his nose. “Put your clothes on, kid, and go home. This is over. Tony, you… I don’t even know what we’re going to do with you.” Tony was frozen, all his fears manifested in the way Rhodey was looking at him. 

“Tony,” Peter shouted. The kid didn’t shout very often, but he looked ready to cry. “Say something.” 

Tony just blinked, looking between a teary eyed Peter and a disgusted Rhodey. “… he’s right,” Peter looked at Tony with fear and questions in his eyes. “Put your pants on, but don’t go. He and I need to talk. You… find something to do, ok?” Tony knew this was his reckoning. His accounts, his good luck, it was all coming due. Peter looked at Rhodey a few times before finally slipping away. “You used your override.” 

“You’ve been incredibly quiet. I was worried. Clearly I was right to be worried. What are you thinking, Tony!? Are you crazy? He’s a child.” Rhodey would be pulling his hair out at the root if he had any that was long enough to pull. “You need to figure out how to end this without wrecking the kid. You’ve already done enough…”  
‘“No.” 

“What?” 

“No. I’m not ending things with Peter.” Tony’s voice was quiet as he got up and walked to the bar. “And everything you’re saying I’ve already lost countless hours of sleep thinking about, worrying about. I know how fucked up it is and I’m not ending it.” 

“Tony…” Rhodey was beside himself, perching on the arm of the sofa with his head in his hands. “How long ago did it start? Tony… this could destroy you. You could go to jail.” Tony came back and handed Rhodey a glass of scotch his other hand gripping his own. “Please… explain how this happened.” 

“… slowly,” Tony told Rhodey. “With a lot of bumps, a lot of me saying the stuff you just did and him fighting back.” Rhodey took a swig of his scotch. “I love him if that matters.” And as though that was actually the worst thing Tony could have said, Rhodey just closed his eyes and hung his head. “I tried not to.” Tony finished his glass and refilled it. “I fought him.”

“Are you actually trying to use a Lolita defense? He seduced me!” Rhodey just stared at Tony. “You’re a grown ass man and he’s a child. Legal or not, you know this is wrong.” The conversation went on for some time after that, there was yelling and some broken glass, and it was generally every one of Tony’s fears in walking, talking form. Out of everything that was said that night, that was what resonated the most with Tony. It might be legal to be physical with Peter but how it had started and his own culpability needed to be recognized. They talked for a few more hours, Tony quietly explaining over and over that he was in love and while it was incredibly inconvenient, it was the truth. In the end, Rhodey went to a room a couple of floors down leaving Tony alone with his conscience and half a bottle of scotch.


	19. Chapter 19

It took four days for Rhodey to talk to Tony and even then it was only two no’s and a yes over a two minute conversation before he hung up. No he didn’t want Tony to stop calling. No he wasn’t going to report anything. And yes he was still Tony’s friend. After finishing that call, Tony was finally able to relax enough to get more than an hour and a half of sleep at a time. He’d cut himself off from everyone, Peter included, and the kid was pissed. Everyone was pissed. Tony had missed a speaking engagement, some math summit in Berlin, and was currently blowing off an interview on CNN about the math summit. Whoever thought he would make that one was nuts for even bothering to put it in the books. He couldn’t look at himself in the mirror and his room ended up looking something like the scene from Beauty and the Beast where you see the forbidden part of the place. 

Rhodey had agreed to come over that night and talk with Peter. It had been made totally clear that Rhodey did _not_ want to speak to him. Tony was gutted by the vehemence in the sentiment but he had agreed to it. So he sat upstairs in the lab tinkering with an engine while he waited for Friday to tell him Rhodey was gone. But Friday didn’t. Rhodey had gotten there around seven and it was well after eleven at this point. The man was still in the building and Friday confirmed that he and Peter were talking, but that was it. Tony didn’t need to get into more trouble by eavesdropping. So instead of asking Friday for a content report, he took apart the engine of a 1974 Chevy Mustang and put it back together. Five times. He could have done more but overtightened a screw and stripped the threads so he decided to call it quits. 

When the door to his lab finally opened, Tony shot to his feet. He didn’t expect Rhodey. Hell, after not talking to him for days, he didn’t expect Peter. While Tony had managed to keep himself clean, he had not managed the sober part and the second he stood, he almost fell. Peter was there, catching Tony and then pulling him close. Tony didn’t remember much from that moment to waking up in his bed the next morning. There was a hug, a very tight hug. There was water and some crackers and his bed. And Peter. Oh, glorious, wonderful Peter was there stroking his hair. The young man wasn’t talking, he was either humming along to music in his EarPods or flipping through his phone, but his fingers kept stroking Tony’s hair. Peter had laid in bed with him through the night, taking care of Tony as Tony tried to get his mind in order. Normally he’d have fought it. Actually, the only person who’d gotten him out of a funk like this had left him quite some time ago. And before Pepper, there was Jarvis. Not the A.I. Jarvis, his Jarvis. The real flesh and blood man his family had depended on for decades. “Hey,” Tony looked at Peter who was just reading next to him, absently chewing on the edge of his nail. 

“How are you feeling,” Peter asked as he reached over to the night stand and pulled back a bottle of water. 

“… better than I did yesterday,” Tony reasoned as he took the water and drank about a third of it before he even sat up fully. “You stayed the night?” Tony’s worry immediately set in. 

“Yes. And before you ask, May knows I’m here. I told her we were using every hour of the weekend for a project. She even helped me pack a bag.” Peter nodded to the small bag on a chair in the corner. 

“Jesus.” 

“I know.” Peter sighed. “And… that was something Rhodey and I talked about.” Peter was clearly feeling him out to see if he was ready to talk about Rhodey. 

“Let me get a bloody mary before we get into Rhodey.” Tony shifted his legs over the edge of the bed and sat up. His head pounded as he came upright and Peter just tossed a bottle of pain killers onto the bed next to Tony with an exasperated sigh. “What?”

“I don’t want you to get drunk.” Peter didn’t usually express an opinion about Tony’s drinking. He wasn’t often thrilled or upset by it, so Tony didn’t think about it a lot. This, though, the exasperated sigh coupled with Peter’s request made Tony think to conversations he’d had with many people over the years. “I want to have a conversation with you, not a bottle of vodka.” Peter had always been careful not to say anything, but now he was letting it out. It occurred to Tony that Peter was actually pissed off. Like genuinely pissed off at him. That stung.

“One drink to take the edge off. Hair of the dog…” 

“I said I don’t want you to get drunk, not that I’d stop you. Do whatever you want.” Tony knew that was a clear indication that he should NOT get that drink, but he was pretty sure it would be the first thing he did when he got out of bed. 

So instead of standing up, Tony pulled his legs back under the blankets and turned to look at Peter a little. “Just keep the water coming,” he warned before settling in. “Ok. Hit me. That was a long conversation.” 

“It was,” Peter agreed. He seemed slightly warmer for his not going to get a drink and Tony liked that. That helped him feel less like a complete fuck up. He knew he was, but that kid’s smile could light up a room and it certainly brightened Tony’s mangled corpse of a heart. “He’s really upset. Like… he’s freaked out too.” Tony winced and pulled back just a little. “Sorry.”

“No… lay it on me.” Tony needed to know what Rhodey had said and clearly Peter felt the same way. 

“He pointed out that I need to tell May and that I really shouldn’t continue this.” Peter reached out, taking Tony’s hand. “I told him that I had no intention of doing either of those things and he agreed that he wouldn’t push it or out me. I think he needed to be open that he condemned it so he could cope with himself, you know?” Tony did know and man he wished he had that drink. Instead he uncapped his water and took a long pull. “He knows that you two need to talk, but he’s not ready.” Tony cleared his throat, feeling a little sick to his stomach. “I’m sorry.”

“You,” Tony asked as he looked over at Peter, “have nothing to be sorry for.”

“This wouldn’t be happening if it weren’t for me. He’s your oldest friend,” Peter said softly. Tony could see the tears welling up in the young man’s eyes and he reached over to pull Peter close. He didn’t know what to say or do other than to hold onto him for awhile. “Tony,” Peter said after awhile, “… you stink.” 

“I… and here I thought we were having this tender moment.” Tony was glad actually that Peter was making a joke. “Listen….” Tony took a deep breath. “This isn’t easy and I’m going to fuck up a lot. Like…” he leveled his gaze at Peter, “a lot. What you need to know, though, is that none of it is your fault. You can’t control your age any more than I can control mine. And you know I had a hard time with it. Still do.” Peter looked a little upset at that, but it was the truth. Peter’s age would be an issue for some time. “But that doesn’t mean I don’t love you. Doesn’t mean I am going to give you up anytime soon.” 

Peter seemed satisfied by that answer, and Tony relaxed just a little bit, lying back down in bed and pulling Peter down next to him. They stayed like that for awhile, Peter not seeming to care anymore that Tony smelled. No, instead the kid buried his face in Tony’s chest and wrapped all four of those long limbs around him. “So you have the whole weekend away from home,” Tony asked Peter. 

“Yeah. I told May that I was staying through to Monday to get as much time on our project as I could.” Tony’s chest tightened at the thought of May Parker and how she would react if she were to walk in here right now. Truthfully, it had little to do with how the woman would feel and everything to do with potential lawsuits and the horrifying idea of losing Peter. Tony had come to really depend on him and if Peter went, there was very little for Tony to hang onto, to keep him tethered to the real world. He held onto Peter, actually managing to talk about their project while they rested. Tony noticed that Peter’s breaths were slowing and quieted. Minutes later he heard the soft snoring. The kid deserved a rest, so Tony let him have it, slipping out of bed for a shower and the bloody mary he’d been craving for hours now. He’d staved it off while Peter was awake, those lively blue eyes keeping his focus. Now that he was asleep, Tony had zero reason to remain sober. He ended up drinking it in the shower.


	20. Chapter 20

There was probably something uniquely filthy about staring at Peter’s ass while they were patrolling Central Park, but how could he ignore it in that suit? Peter’s ass was perfect, high and round and, from personal experience, Tony knew that even his pinkie had to work to get inside. After hours of weaving in and out, Peter needed a minute. Tony touched down on one of the paths, trying to be gentle and not crack the pavement but not succeeding. “Should have put her down on the grass,” Peter pointed out.

“Her?” 

“The suit.”

Tony let his helmet pull back and he made a slightly horrified face. “First… the suit is me, I am the suit. Second, he’s the Mark 53. He _has_ a name.” Tony closed in on Peter, clucking his tongue. “I thought you’d know better, Spider-Kid.” Peter rolled his eyes and Tony chanced pulling his gauntlet off. They were in a private stretch of the park, which had also been closed down for some time. The gang of baddies they were searching for was hiding out in the park, hence the patrol. They had some kind of hideout and he was using the suit to scan for it as they passed through. 

“I think you know damn well that I’m a man.” Peter pulled his glove off and reached out. It was stupid, but Tony took the chance, reaching out to touch Peter’s fingers. “Wish we could go home.” Peter wrinkled his brow then smiled just a little bit. “I just said home and meant Stark Tower.” 

“Avengers Tower, but… “ Tony smiled, reaching out to stroke his fingers down Peter’s bicep, “that’s….” He didn’t know what to say so he impulsively reached up and pulled Peter’s mask up enough to plant a hard kiss right on his mouth. Peter groaned and wrapped his arms around Tony. He couldn’t feel it because of the suit, but Tony knew well enough what Peter’s warm, strong arms felt like. “I’m glad.” He wrinkled his nose a little bit. “Whenever you want to leave Queens, I’ll clean out a couple of drawers.” Peter still had a room in the tower for appearances, but he’d long since given up on staying there. When Peter was at the Tower, he was in Tony’s living space and quite comfortable from the messes he left around. 

They were still close and Peter pulled his mask up a little more before leaning in close to kiss Tony again. “Too bad there’s no hidden fly in your pants.” Peter was hissing it against Tony’s throat, teeth running over his jaw and across Tony’s stubble. The park was empty, but it still felt incredibly public. Tony’s heart raced in response. 

“Mine don’t… yours do.” Tony pointed it out as his gauntlet-free hand moved to the front of Peter’s suit, giving him a squeeze. Peter groaned loudly, his fingers sinking into Tony’s hair. “C’Mere.” Tony nodded to a wooded area. “It has to be quick.” 

“Don’t worry about that,” Peter joked as they hustled back to a hidden spot and Tony dropped to his knees. He still had his suit on, but now both gauntlets and his helmet were off. It made working the hidden fly on Peter’s suit easier, dexterity really counting when it came to your cock and balls. Tony noticed that Peter pulled his mask back down, hiding his face but making it a lot easier to breathe since it wasn’t cutting into the kid’s nose anymore. Peter groaned deep as Tony’s mouth wrapped around him, ungloved hand sinking into Tony’s hair. 

It wasn’t about technique so much as going fast. Tony had told them he was going off coms for ten minutes while they took a break and they had about six minutes left. They could do it in six minutes, but it would be no act of beauty. Tony got real filthy real quick, devouring Peter’s cock over and over until the other guy was groaning and twisting, his back pressed to a tree. One of Peter’s hands was at the back of his head, the other gripping the shoulder of Tony’s suit. Tony’s hands were splitting their attention. They went from Peter’s tender balls to the rise of that tight ass of his. Tony squeezed hard, making sure Peter would really feel it through the fibers of his suit. 

“Tony…” Peter started moaning his name quietly, fingers tightening in Tony’s hair. Tony picked that moment to push himself down to the base of Peter’s very long cock, letting his throat work around it as Tony focused on staying down as long as he possibly could, ignoring the urge to breathe and the tears running down his cheeks. The noises Peter was making were so worth it. Peter was getting a little louder and his hips were starting to buck. Tony knew he was close and doubled down, both hands going to Peter’s ass as he pulled up to take a big breath before pulling himself in snug against Peter’s body, swallowing the guy to the root and staying there. 

It was quick from there, Tony felt the first shot and stayed down, letting Peter finish wrapped deep in Tony’s throat. Sure it hurt and sure his voice was going to sound weird, but he’d do it again. And again and again and again. Hopefully. Peter gripped his hair hard, holding Tony close as his hips unconsciously fucked Tony’s face. Only when he couldn’t take it anymore did Tony pull back, gasping deeply and resting his cheek against Peter’s stomach as he tried to catch his breath. “Holy… shit,” Peter was trying to catch his breath too, his hand sunk into Tony’s hair no doubt making a huge mess of it. “That right there, that’s one hell of a super power.” 

Tony looked up at Peter, smiling a little. No doubt he was red faced and sweaty even in the slightly cool late night air. “You owe me when we get home,” Tony teased. 

“Yeah, that’ll be a huge hardship,” Peter laughed, pulling Tony to his feet, suit and all. Tony was still gaping at that when Peter leaned in close to whisper in his ear. “When we get home I want to be in you.” His glove-free fingers ran down Tony’s cheek before he pulled him in a little closer, baring half his face again for a slow, tender kiss that said Tony was going to be treated to quite a time. “How much longer?” 

“Two hours, twenty-three minutes,” Tony told him as he retrieved his gauntlets and put them back on. “Not that I’ve been counting.” He winked before putting his helmet back on. They did have a job to do after all. “Going back on coms.” Peter sighed and did the same, both announcing that they were back and taking to the skies again, Tony in his suit, Peter working the treetops and buildings. It was going to be a long two hours, twenty-three minutes.


	21. Chapter 21

Tony had been joking back at the park when he’d said Peter owed him, but Peter took it seriously. They’d barely made it through the door when Peter grabbed Tony and pushed him into the wall with a hard kiss. Peter groaned and there was no way that the kid didn’t taste himself there. It wasn’t like Tony had had time for a mint. Peter’s hand went for his cock and Tony did not refuse. Tony had left his suit downstairs, leaving him in just his jeans and a t-shirt. Peter had stripped him of both in a matter of two minutes, dropping to his knees still in his suit. Tony felt a filthy old man, but having Spider-Man kneeling in front of him was incredibly hot. It was Peter, of course, those honey blonde curls and sweet eyes filled his vision as Peter ran his teeth down Tony’s stomach. 

“You…” Tony couldn’t say much more because Peter’s mouth was running over the fabric of Tony’s boxer briefs, getting the fabric wetter by the moment. “Jesus you’re a walking wet dream, you know that?” Peter laughed, sending vibrations through the fabric. “All I have to do is think about those lips and I get hard.” Tony’s thumb ran over Peter’s bottom lip before he bent down to kiss him slow and deep. 

As they kissed, Peter stripped him of his last garment, his hands moving right to Tony’s hips. There was no escape as Peter peppered kisses up and down the shaft of his cock. Tony made a low, desperate noise as the young man wrapped his mouth around the head and started to suck. “You are killing me, Underoos.” He tilted his head back and let Peter finish, enjoying the hell out of that sweet mouth as the young man’s hand played with his balls, fingertips just barely teasing his hole. “I want you to fuck my brains out tonight.” Tony got it out when Peter was grabbing a breath, finding himself otherwise incapable of speaking. 

“Not a problem,” was all Peter said before he wrapped his lips back around Tony’s cock. 

Tony came a couple of minutes later, watching as Peter didn’t miss a beat, swallowing him down. “You’re amazing.” Tony had sunk down the wall, sitting next to a red-faced Peter. Tony kissed the boy again, pulling Peter to straddle his lap while they both caught their breath. “Who taught you how to suck cock like that?” 

Peter smiled shyly and reached down to stroke over the edge of Tony’s reactor scar. It was gone, things were rebuilt, but there was still just a tiny edge that wasn’t right. Peter knew Tony hated it but always sought it out when they were like this. Tony thought Peter couldn’t actually help himself. “I learned from the best.” Peter smiled cheekily and got to his feet, pulling Tony up as well. “I can carry you to the shower if you can’t walk. I know I’m that good,” he joked.

“I think I’ll manage,” Tony bumped Peter’s hip with his then leaned over to kiss the young man’s temple. “We’re showering? Do I smell?” 

“No,” Peter flushed and Tony was curious. 

“What then?” 

“I…” Peter bit his bottom lip. “I was thinking we’d try the thing we were talking about last night.” 

Tony searched his memories, trying to figure out what the hell Peter was talking about. In a given day they talked about a LOT. Then it occurred. “Ok. Well I want you to do me a favor then. Go change out of your suit. Give me a couple of minutes before you come in.” Peter had led them to Tony’s room. Well, it was their room though Peter’s was technically three floors down. He left Peter in the bedroom and headed to the bathroom. Friday had already hit the shower and Tony walked right in, groaning at the massaging drums. 

“Hey J… get me ready to play.” Nostalgia had stopped him from changing the command. Man he really did miss Jarvis sometimes. The phrase that would initiated a series of actions by Friday. Once Tony sat, jets would work between his cheeks, around his hole, behind his balls. Sometimes he did this just for fun because it felt damn GOOD. Right now it was because Peter was about to use that pretty mouth on Tony’s ass. Last night they’d been talking about what they liked in bed. Tony mentioned this and after about half an hour of discussion in which Peter asked a thousand questions, he’d agreed to try it sometime. Tony had not thought it would be so soon let alone today. 

By the time Peter came in, Tony had a sparkling clean asshole and half a hard on. Well, it had never completely faded to be honest. Peter had a tendency to get Tony very worked up. It was clearly mutual as Tony watched Peter’s cock bounce with each step he took. He also had a strangely confident smile on his lips that made Tony want to drop to his knees. When had Peter become so damn sexy? He’d always been good looking, but the added earnest confidence was enough to make his knees weak. Peter steppe right into the spray. Tony didn’t bother looking away, watching the water beat over Peter’s skin. The shower was big enough for four people, so there was plenty of room to perv on him. 

“Need to vent a little pressure,” Tony asked Peter as he came closer. 

“No.” Peter ran his hands down Tony’s chest, “I want to wait until I’m inside you.” Tony didn’t think there were many sexier words than that. “Um…. Will you get on your knees? Maybe bend over the bench?” 

“How about this,” Tony pulled Peter close, giving him a gentle push. The young man went to his knees without any hesitation and Tony shifted himself so his heel was up on the the edge of the bench, exposing himself. 

“Yes,” Peter looked hypnotized. His hands moved in immediately, rubbing behind Tony’s balls, along the thin skin of his groin back around his hole. Peter’s lips lingered at the place where thigh met ass, teeth nibbling every now and again as Peter’s fingertips stroked around his hole. “You can lean on me if you need to.” 

“Thanks, I’m good for now.” Tony appreciated the offer but while he wasn’t superhuman, he was decently strong. Plus, he’d done this a time or two. “Oh God.” Peter ran his mouth over the back of his balls then across the strip of skin to the inside of his ass cheek. Tony felt the sensation resonate in his cock, a heavy drip of precum beading at the head. “Do that again.” He could more feel Peter smile against his thigh than see it, but he knew he was right from the light in his boyfriend’s eyes. “Yes…” Peter repeated the action on both sides, adding a slow ball sucking in between. Tony’s head tilted forward and pressed to the cool tile. Peter was figuring it out, so it wasn’t perfect but it was eager and the man he loved was doing it so it was wonderful. 

It didn’t take Peter too long to get the hang of it. He tended to toy around the outside, the tip of that clever tongue pressing a little until he heard Tony sigh. Then he’d move on. And he wasn’t afraid to get his hands involved either. The only bad thing about this was that he couldn’t see Peter at all. Tony was thinking about that while Peter tongued inside, slowly pushing until he got the noises he seemed to want from Tony. “Peter… fucking… hell… Jesus…” Tony’s forehead pressed into the tile as he fought not to get too loud. It was one thing being an appreciative lover, but moaning and writhing around like a whore wasn’t really the vibe he wanted to put out despite sex usually going that way for him. Tony couldn’t think straight as Peter started to use fingers and mouth together, opening him up. Tony would reach down to stroke himself now and again, just needing SOME form of contact. He felt Peter getting up and lamented that his treat was over, but found that Peter was only shifting, grabbing the lube and putting it on the bench no doubt for later and God was that exciting. Tony didn’t get single minded about people too often, but that was exactly where he was with Peter. The sun rose and set on him and that just amplified the physical. Love really was a trap if you thought about it. 

Peter’s tongue and fingertips worked until Tony was hard and open. “I can’t wait,” Peter told Tony as he stood. The eagerness dripped from Peter’s voice and Tony groaned as he felt the young man rub himself against his thigh. “You look so… I don’t know what the word is.” Peter’s hands framed Tony’s waist as he slipped between Tony’s cheeks, not pushing inside, just rubbing himself there. “Eager… handsome… sexy as hell.” 

“I will take all three.” Tony’s hand reached down to give Peter a few strokes. “Condom?” Tony hadn’t seen one when the lube came over. 

“Shit. Can’t…”

“Don’t make me give you the safe sex lecture when my cock is this hard, please.” Tony’s hands pressed together like he was begging. “No glove, no love big man. We just relocate.” 

“Tony, if I’m clean and you’re clean….” 

“You’re really going to make me do this? Ok.” Tony turned and stared at Peter through the steam, needing to figure out the best way to say this. “Please remember that I recently came back from a bender where I had quite a bit of fun.” Peter’s expression got dark. “You pushed the discussion,” Tony reminded him. “I’ve tested clean, but I’m still unreliable at best. I don’t intend to do stupid things, but they seem to follow me around. I don’t ever want one of my shitty decisions to wind up your problem, ok?” Tony’s hand cupped Peter’s face and said as sweetly as he possibly could. “So are we going to the bedroom or am I going to beat my own meat?” 

“… bedroom,” Peter decided, but it was clear that he wasn’t totally happy with Tony’s answer. That was good. Peter shouldn’t be satisfied with that. He deserved so much better than who Tony was. That did not mean Tony would consider giving Peter up. He was way too selfish for that. Peter took Tony’s hand and gave him a tug in that direction, grabbing towels on their way out the door. Peter dried Tony off, a gesture that was sweet and simple but got to him. He felt a little raw right now, but Peter seemed to get that and his anger dissipated as he gave Tony a kiss on the cheek. Peter had the best heart. He was so incredibly caring it sometimes hurt Tony to think about how much better Peter could do. Tony wanted to be better for Peter, but then he’d wanted to be better for Pepper before him and had failed at that pretty fucking spectacularly. “Hey.” Peter’s hands framed his face, making Tony stop there and look at him. “Thank you for thinking about my health but… I’m not thinking any of that will be a problem given my metabolism.”

“I’d rather not test it,” Tony told him, hands running up and down Peter’s forearms. “Ok?” Peter nodded and slipped his arms around Tony’s waist, pulling him close. “Just… I can’t be the one to fuck you up.” 

“Just the one to fuck me,” Peter joked as he leaned in to kiss Tony. Tony felt tense, though, every inch of his shoulders locked up. “Tony, that was a joke. You’re not fucking me up.” Peter’s fingers ran through his damp hair no doubt making it stick up all over the place. “You’re amazing and I love you even though you are a gigantic pain in my ass sometimes.” Peter kissed Tony affectionately on the tip of the nose. “Now come on. Let’s get into bed.” 

That night, Peter took his time, pushing Tony onto his back and moving his knees up. Tony groaned when the tip of his tongue did a slow circle then pushed gently past the pucker. Peter didn’t rush, the little argument and all that stupid emotion having let them both calm down a little. Peter waited until Tony was good and turned on before bringing lube into the equation. Peter was sweet, something Tony very nearly couldn’t stand. Peter stroked his hair softly before he started to push in, taming a wild strand of freshly dried hair stuck to his forehead. “Ok?” Peter always asked and this was part of the reason Tony had trouble being face-to-face with partners, especially ones that were kind to him. 

“Yeah,” Tony turned and kissed the inside of Peter’s wrist to mask the emotion that had to be showing through. “I’m good.”


	22. Chapter 22

Tony honestly didn’t know how he was going to get through the next two hours. Aunt May had invited him to dinner at their tiny place in Queens. She wanted to thank Tony for all the time and attention he’d been giving Peter. It made Tony want to throw up every time he thought of her being grateful to him. If she knew what was going on between him and Peter, she’d have him arrested. Well, if she knew it was happening before he was seventeen. Now that he was past that it still wasn’t a good idea, but it was less legally troublesome. He parked his car in front of their building after Happy pulled out of the spot he’d been holding in for the last hour while Tony had tried to figure out how to make it there sober. 

The apartment building stunk of people and Tony immediately felt dirty. It wasn’t that the place was dirty or that there were overly smelly people there, it was Tony’s mind telling him he could feel the molecules of sneezes and farts from a hundred apartments flowing through the central air conditioning and smacking him in the face. It took him two tries to get into the elevator, the first he actually had it to himself but five people piled in and he had to get out or risk a panic attack. The second time there was just an old lady with a cat in a carrier that looked like it was dying. She kept humming to it but Tony was pretty sure it was deaf judging by just how loud it was screaming. Meowing? Was that even a meow when a cat sounded like a four year old being skinned? He got out on Peter’s floor and not a moment too soon because he spotted something leaking from the carrier as she asked it, “Oh Mr. FluffBottom. What did you do?”

He gratefully let the doors close and refocused on Peter’s door, wondering if he was going to be able to get through the dinner. He was like 80% sober right now and that wasn’t a great thing. There was the bottle of wine he brought, but he didn’t think that was going to cut it tonight. Tony was breathing heavily by the time he got to the door; not out of exertion, out of anxiety. Peter was actually sitting on the floor outside his apartment playing with his phone, presumably waiting for Tony. He was a port in the storm and Tony rolled up just a little too fast. “The white zone is for loading and unloading passengers only. No parking kid.” Tony held out his hand for Peter to help him up mostly because he wanted an excuse to anchor himself with Peter’s touch. 

“Hey!” Peter’s eyes did that thing where they crinkled too much and he sort of wobbled from foot to foot because he wanted to hug Tony but wasn’t sure about it. “I told her you’d be late.” 

“I’m late,” Tony looked at his watch. 

“No, actually. Which is why I’m supposed to keep you in the hall for another ten minutes. She is running around in there trying to get everything finished and I saw you pulling up,” he nodded to the side of the building facing the street where Tony had parked. 

“You were watching for me? Even though I’m early?” 

“… shut up,” Peter was blushing though so Tony poked him in the side. 

“No, it’s cute,” he teased. “Little Peter peering out the window.” Tony was teasing, watching Peter get pinker up those high cheek bones. He was wearing a sweater that he looked like he hated over a t-shirt Tony had noticed missing from his closet two weeks ago. “We’re not having nut loaf or something equally… unique.” Tony had been preparing himself mentally for what May might be making, telling himself to just eat whatever was given to him and be a good sport. He could freak out later.

“No. No. Convinced her to go Italian.” 

“Ok,” Tony nodded. “Real Italian?” 

“Like real, REAL Italian. She made her own sauce.” Peter was working to stay back, clearly fighting his urge to touch Tony. Tony was both worried about that and really excited by it. It was going to be a long night. “I’m sorry about having to wait in the hallway. I did ask the kids down the hall to go into their apartment. Well, not so much asked as bribed. I’m out ten bucks each.” 

“Are you asking for assistance with paying your debts, Mr. Parker,” Tony teased. “Terrible really, the trouble kids these days get into.” The elevator door opened on a couple making out feverishly. “Wow. I didn’t even ask for an example either. Clearly the Universe is on my side.” He bumped his shoulder into Peter’s as he moved to lean on the wall next to him. “She’s got good technique,” he pointed out as they kissed. “He seems to be really into it.” They flipped him off before the door closed and the elevator started back down. The timer on Peter’s watch went off. “Am I allowed in now?” 

“One sec.” Peter opened the door and called for May. 

“Getting changed. Offer Mr. Stark a drink, Peter.” That was their cue that it was now ok to come into the apartment. Tony took a deep breath and entered, trying very hard to not freak himself out enough to run. 

“Yeah, you heard her. Offer me a drink.” 

“Lemonade or Tea,” Peter joked as he headed toward the bottle of wine May had put out for her and Tony. “This… “ He smelled it, “is red. Do you want red?” 

“I’ll take anything with alcohol,” Tony told him with a nod at the couch. Peter joined him a minute later, plopping down and handing off the wine. He’d done a generous pour and Tony was incredibly grateful for that.Tony had long since memorized the layout of this apartment and the building and was currently considering how to rewire May’s speakers to best amplify sound for her TV. 

“She’ll cut you if you try,” Peter pointed out. “So don’t even think of it. Hell, even I tried.” Peter’s hand briefly rested on his knee before moving on, testing his limits here at home no doubt. It was a dangerous game and Tony was just about to point that out when they heard May Parker coming down the hall. 

She was a good looking woman, one Tony could have gotten into in another life. Tony stood, getting a smile off of her. “Stand up.” Peter was sitting like a lump on the couch. 

“Huh?” He glanced up. 

“A beautiful lady just entered the room, you stand,” Tony told him. May was the kind of woman who appreciated a thing like that. And just like Tony thought, she flushed a little and her step got lighter.

“You could take a lesson, Peter. Might help on the girl front,” May leaned in and kissed Tony on the cheek, taking his hands. “I’m so glad you were finally able to come out to Queens again. Did Peter tell you that he got me to cook Italian?”

“He did and now my expectations are sky high.” Tony had girded himself that whatever there was to eat, he was going to choke it down. He could not afford a misstep here. Tony was on his best, most non-crazy, non-drunk behavior. A buzz wasn’t drunk in his eyes, so a couple of glasses of wine didn’t really count. 

May laughed and they went to sit in the living room, chatting as she set out some bruschetta and a couple of bowls of olives on the coffee table. “Help yourself, Mr…. Tony,” she corrected herself. May Parker was the kind of woman who could flirt well and that was exactly what she was doing, resulting in Tony feeling like double… no, triple the creep he already felt like. “So what are you working on now? Not that I’m probably going to understand anyway. Bachelor of Arts,” she thumbed at herself. Peter gave Tony a little start and he technobabbled the rest out. May eventually excused herself to check on dinner looking rather confused.

Peter was sitting on the floor next to him, the best position to get to the green olives, and while May was out of the room, his fingers crept to Tony’s ankle. Tony’s gaze cut immediately to Peter, eyes wide. Peter just smirked and ran his fingers up the back of Tony’s calf then down to his heel a few times while asking him the most basic physics questions. At first he thought Peter was being a little bit of a jerk, teasing his aunt, but when she chimed in with two answers then looked so incredibly proud of herself, Tony got it. Peter was bolstering her self-esteem because that was the kind of person he was. He was also the kind of person whose hand was fully inside the cuff of Tony’s pants, fingernails scraping down his calf while his aunt stirred the sauce so Tony didn’t give him too much credit. 

“Dinner’s just about ready, boys. Peter, can you bring the starters to the table so you can keep eating all the green olives?” Peter looked a little chastised and Tony had a hell of a time keeping his mind away from just how good a look that was on Peter. He looked younger, like a kid with his hand in the cookie jar. “Were you even able to taste one,” May asked with a glance back into the living room at them. Peter’s hand was obscured and he switched to running his fingertip around Tony’s ankle bone. 

“Nope, missed them.” Tony was trying not to sound like he had half a hard on and didn’t know that he entirely succeeded. “Stop it,” he hissed at Peter under his breath. 

“I just never had you here,” Peter said softly. “I like it.” 

“Peter,” May called. They both jumped, looking up. “Make sure Tony gets at least one of those olives.” Peter looked out to the kitchen before taking one of the olives and offering it to Tony. Tony moved to take it but after Peter checked the kitchen again, he pressed it boldly to Tony’s mouth like they might in the privacy of Tony’s floors of Stark Tower. 

“So good,” Tony told May not meaning the jarred olive either. “I’m going to kick your ass,” he hissed at Peter while running his fingers over the young man’s back under his shirt. He put his hand on Peter’s head when he was finally standing and gave him a playful push before heading in the kitchen to flirt with May and check on that sauce.


	23. Chapter 23

The hand on his back made Tony tense and turn around. “Hey…” Peter was standing there with a glass and a very worried look on his face. “I called you three times. You ok?” 

Tony nodded, taking the glass and drinking the water in a couple of gulps. “Fine. Thinking. Working. Need to get back.” He kissed Peter on the forehead and turned back to his tablet, planning away. Peter didn’t push. He didn’t try to help other than to throw a protein bar at Tony an hour later and kept the coffee and water coming. Around eight, the hand touched his shoulder again, squeezing. “Peter?” 

“I made dinner,” he told Tony. “Can you take a break or am I bringing it to you in here?” Peter’s hands framed Tony’s face, his fingertips rubbing Tony’s temples. His eyes closed and it wasn’t until they did that he realized just how dry they were. 

“A break,” Tony agreed. “Yeah. Friday, upload all that and start working the math.” He turned back to Peter. “Did you say you made dinner?” 

“I’m a really good cook,” Peter promised as his fingers moved down to the back of Tony’s neck and across his shoulders, working slow circles into the muscles. “Come out to the dining room and see what I made.” He pressed a glass of wine into Tony’s hand. “Friday said that should go with what we’re having.” The wine was just a little sweet which told Tony the dinner was probably going to be spicy. And he was right. Peter had put together some sort of Korean beef bowl with a ton of spice and this really delicious broth. 

“… your aunt did not teach you this.” Peter shook his head with his mouth still full. “This is amazing.” Tony gobbled down the bowl of food and a couple of glasses of wine before Peter took his bowl and refilled it. Tony almost went face first into the bowl because fuck it was good. “Ok. You are a good cook.” 

“I told you.” Peter ran his hand over the back of Tony’s hand, squeezing just a little before they laced their fingers together. Tony just looked at Peter for a long moment before he brought the young man’s knuckles to his lips. Peter cupped his face with those long fingers and came forward to kiss Tony. He moved around the side of the table until he could straddle Tony’s lap. “You look exhausted.” Peter stroked his fingers through Tony’s hair. “Can you take the rest of the night off?” Peter was always careful when it came to work or projects. He respected that sometimes you couldn’t take a break, you couldn’t slow down. Pepper had never understood that, she couldn’t. She wasn’t like them. Peter asked him if he was ready, Pepper had always demanded. Tony loved her, but if there was one thing that had really gotten to him about her, it was that. 

“Couple hours,” he nodded. 

“Good.” Peter stood up, taking Tony’s hands and pulling him to his feet. “We’re going to lay down.” 

“I’m not tired.”   
“I know,” Peter said in that voice that meant he didn’t believe Tony in the least. “And I didn’t say we were going to sleep.” Tony followed, happy to stay in suspense if that meant what he hoped it did. In fact, it ended up being a little more. “You have been crouched into all these weird positions working. You really do tie yourself up,” Peter noted with no judgement in his voice. “So I asked Friday send up the massage chair so I could work on your back a little. If you want.” 

“I would drop to my knees right now to thank you if I thought I could stand back up.” Tony noticed that there were candles lit around the room and Friday had some quiet music in the background. Hell, there was even mood lighting. Peter rolled his eyes and came around to face Tony. “No, really. This is nice, Peter.” Tony’s fingers stroked down the side of Peter’s face and the young man looked at him, such earnest tenderness in his eyes that it brought Tony up more than short. Peter knew though, and leaned in to kiss him to save Tony the embarrassment of trying to speak when he was feeling things. 

“I’ll put down some towels. You take your clothes off.” 

“Sounds like the perfect start to my night.” Clearly Peter had been planning something and while Tony’s mind did leap back to the lab, there was nothing saying he couldn’t do this for awhile then work. He’d often had brilliant breakthroughs after good sex, and with Peter it was always good. Even when it was awkward and a little painful, Tony loved it because it was Peter. It was the same reason he’d let Pepper read him the riot act from time to time or put him in khakis. Though he was never going to forgive her for that. Tony had his shirt off before he realized what Peter was doing as he rifled around in a nook Tony had not designed. “… heat cabinet?” 

“I’m don’t like cold towels,” Peter told Tony. “It’s been that way for a month and a half. You didn’t notice?” Peter laughed and pulled out another towel. “Dry heat,” he ran the soft, warm fabric over Tony’s chest in a slow circle. 

“You could have told me that you were sick of cold towels before you augmented my room… the room,” he corrected when Peter gave him a sharp look. This really had become _their_ room wasn’t it? Tony didn’t even typically sleep in here when Peter wasn’t staying the night. He usually ended up on a couch. It just felt weird without him anymore, and that was as far as Tony would let himself go into that thought process. “That’s up to code, right,” Tony teased as Peter wrapped the towel around his shoulders, letting the heat sink in. He squeezed up and down Tony’s biceps a moment before bringing his hand to hold both ends of the towel at his throat. “Here then,” he teased as Peter nodded to the chair.

“I’m trying for something, just cooperate,” Peter chided before he pecked Tony’s temple. His hands went to Tony’s pants, pushing them down with a bit of disinterest, Tony felt. It would have been off putting if it wasn’t followed by Peter guiding him to the chair where he’d sit with his whole back exposed, torso leaning forward with his face in the cradle. “Settle in,” Peter suggested when he went back to the drawer. He pulled something out and Tony turned his head to see what it was. It looked like a pillowcase full of something only a bit wider. Peter shifted it and then carefully laid it on his back. It was heated and the heat immediately started to settle into Tony’s muscles. He let out a deep groan and Peter seemed to approve because it got a smile out of the younger man. “Head down, ok?” Another two bags of what he later found out was heated rice laid down the back of each resting arm. Tony didn’t have to be asked twice and relaxed into the chair with a sigh. 

Peter left him like that for a moment and Tony very nearly fell asleep. It wasn’t until he felt Peter’s fingers on his scalp that he realized just what the kid meant. He’d been planning this for awhile then? Tony wondered if Peter had found people to practice on or if he was just a natural because right now the way he was manipulating the thin muscles that covered his scalp had Tony’s toes twitching like when you hit that spot on a dog’s back that made them thump their foot. Peter found each of those spots and worked some sort of voodoo on them because Tony felt like jelly by the time the man got to the back of his neck. Peter took his time, slowly shifting the heated rice until Tony felt nothing but it and Peter’s hands. He was floating. At some point Peter started to hum and Tony didn’t even have enough brain power to figure out what the song was. Tony didn’t know who or what to blame for this, but he was losing time in the lab and was _ok_ with it. His pulse skyrocketed but he felt Peter press a soft kiss to the back of his jaw. It didn’t stop the thumping of his pulse but it did remind him that the anxiety he was experiencing in that moment was going to end and that Peter would be there on the other side. 

He drifted back away, eyes half closed as he noted just how long Peter’s toes looked from this angle. He had long feet to begin with, but maybe it was a Spider-Man thing. Tony wasn’t going to press. It didn’t matter. All that mattered was that Peter kept moving that heat pack around and that he got to keep feeling Peter’s slick hands on his skin. “Tony,” Peter said softly as he ran his fingertip around the shell of Tony’s ear. “I’m going to pick you up.” It was all the warning Tony got before Peter scooped him up and walked him over to bed. It was turned down and Peter laid Tony under the sheet then packed him in with the rice on his arms and across the tops of his thighs. He was tucked in and left for a moment before Peter came back to bed. “Have a little water,” Peter offered him some cool coconut water. It was a personal favorite and the kid was just racking up the style points. The cool also roused Tony just a little. He felt like he was on a cloud looking down at himself while Peter started to work on his right arm. 

“You’re… really good at this.” 

“Know your muscles, know your ligaments, know your tendons, know your pressures,” Peter shrugged. “Plus… I have an unfair advantage of knowing your body really well.” The younger man flushed and Tony ran his fingers over Peter’s knee with a sleepy smile. Peter’s hands moved across his shoulders, working on each side a little before switching sides of Tony so he could get the other arm. Peter was right on all accounts, especially that last one. He showed it in technicolor when those clever hands moved down his chest. The tone changed a little and Tony had to admit that he liked where it was going. Again… style points to Parker. Tony was going to have to up his game. 

“When did you become an expert in massage therapy,” Tony asked as Peter worked over Tony’s hip down to the top of his thigh. 

“A week ago.” Peter’s casual tone reminded Tony of his own on many accounts. 

“Nice,” Tony gave him a nod of appreciation especially when his hands tackled a knot Peter had gotten the bulk of when he was still in the chair. “P… Peter,” Tony stuttered as the young man’s hands moved over his thigh. “Jesus.” Tony arched a little and Peter stopped. “What?” 

“Relax. That’s the whole point.” That should have been the moment Tony knew he was fucked. Peter was taking his sweet time and winding Tony up like a clock. His thumbs made wide gestures on the long muscles of Tony’s thighs, spreading and pulling at the knots. The brushes of Peter’s hands to anything but thigh was incidental. Tony didn’t know if that drove him nuts or impressed him. Peter’s hand cupped his balls, shifting them to the other side so he could rub high in the crease of Tony’s leg. Tony was getting harder by the minute, all the earlier relaxation seeming to linger in every part of his body save a band from the top of his hip bone to mid thigh. In that band seemed to live all the tension in the world, all building as Peter fed blood to the area with firm strokes of his massaging hands. 

“You’re going to kill me.” Tony’s body felt off, sort of untethered and otherworldly. “Peter, please.” Then it was there, that blessed fingertip caressing his asshole. Peter had moved his hand there a few times but again, it was incidental. All he had done was lay a layer of slick down with the oil. “Yes,” he encouraged and watched as Peter leaned in to kiss him, that finger pushing in as he did. There had been barely any resistance, Tony’s body gave over easily and Peter’s finger slid in. He opened his mouth to speak but Peter found is prostate at that moment and pushed. Tony let out a guttural sound that had to have echoed through midtown. 

“I was going to ask if I’d found it… apparently so,” Peter teased as he repeated the action. Tony’s hand moved to his cock and Peter stopped him. “You can rub your chest, your arms, thighs… no jerking off though. Let me do that for you.” 

Tony looked down at Peter where he was kneeling between his legs. “You’re more than welcome.” Peter leaned in and gave Tony a soft suck, just a little up and down the shaft as his finger worked against Tony’s prostate. He was sure the sounds he was making were not arousing in the least and that Peter would probably humor him and say they were, but damn…. “P…Peter….fucking… “ Tony just pulled on Peter, needing to kiss him. He needed a breath but Tony also needed everything Peter wanted to give him tonight. Conflicted wasn’t the word. Two fingers reentered and pushed as though they were one, making Tony gasp and arch his back. 

“Breathe, Tony.” Peter’s fingers were a stretch but were by no means painful or even really difficult for Tony. “You’re dribbling,” Peter told him and Tony’s hand went to his lips. “Not your mouth,” he nodded at Tony’s cock and the nice little pool of moisture he’d accumulated where the tip pressed to his stomach. Peter was going to be questioned at length about this whole setup, but for now Tony was just happy he had a creative, sexy as fuck boyfriend. Peter’s fingers took their time working at Tony, pulling him open but mostly massaging his prostate until there was a steady stream of precum coming from Tony’s cock and a steady stream of cursing coming from his mouth. 

Peter leaned in and Tony was done for. His wide, soft mouth wrapped around the head of Tony’s cock, sucking with very focused attention where head met shaft. “Fuuuuuuuck,” Tony growled, fingers tightening on Peter’s shoulder. He was not about to look a gift horse in the mouth, so to speak, so Tony just rested his head back and enjoyed the slow, focused attention Peter was paying him until he couldn’t take another moment and had one of the most exhausting and intense orgasms of his life. He didn’t realize that hours had passed since he left his lab, nor did he realize that another twelve hours would pass before he woke in Peter’s arms and returned the favor.


	24. Chapter 24

“So… it’s a thing then,” Peter asked with his head cocked to the side. They were eating breakfast, talking about some teenaged nonsense when the subject had turned to sex. Peter often came to him with questions and Tony was ok with that. It could get weird, but so could dating someone twenty-mumble years younger than you. Tony tried not to dwell. Things were legal at this point, but still firmly in the _icky_ zone for most people. While part of him wanted to shout about just how amazing his boyfriend was, he also knew that Peter was very young and incredibly naive. “I mean… I knew you liked it, but… without…”

“For some guys it’s hard. No pun,” Tony chewed around a mouth full of really good egg something. “My prostate was a hobby through most of my twenties,” Tony pointed out. “That was was an eventful period in my life.”

“… a slutty period in your life, you mean,” Peter mumbled. 

“No slut shaming at this table… unless it’s me. Because sometimes I’m kind of into that.” Tony winked and Peter gave him another eye roll. It was a reminder of that youth. Not to mention those sweet berry-kissed lips. Because he could, Tony leaned over and stole a kiss. “I can show you if you want. Believe me, it’s no hardship.” 

“Is it different?”

“… kind of. There’s a lot more lead up so when you finally do cum it can be really intense.” Though that might have been the occasional belt around his neck while working a toy against his prostate. It wasn’t an every day kink, but Tony was no angel. 

“Do I have to bottom then?” 

“Huh?” Now it was Tony’s turn to cock his head and be confused. 

“Like… for it to work, do you need to… to…” Peter swallowed and steeled himself. “Do you need to fuck me?” 

Tony couldn’t help but groan. “First… I am very excited for the day you do say that. And second, no.” Tony wiggled his fingers at Peter. “Fingers, a vibrator. And I can introduce you to my good friend Aneros.” Tony gave Peter a wink. 

“Will you show me?”

“I said yes already, didn’t I?” Tony sipped at his bloody mary, brow raised. 

“I mean… show me.” Peter gestured to Tony’s body. 

“Oh… you want me to lay myself out and show you my party trick?” He paused a moment, pretending to equivocate. Tony looked at Peter’s plate then stood up. “Think I can handle that.” Tony took Peter’s hand and pulled him up. 

“Now?” 

“Unless you want to wait,” Tony teased. 

“Now’s good.” It was Tony who ended up following then as Peter excitedly tugged him in the direction of the bedroom. Peter wasn’t shy as he tugged at the hem of Tony’s shirt. “Can I touch you while you do it?”

“I insist you do.” Tony brought Peter’s hands to his hips, shifting in close. “Only rule is no touching my cock for more than a stroke or two at a time.” Peter nodded, face setting sternly as though it were a challenge. “It does take a little while, though,” Tony pointed out with a raised brow. “How about this,” Tony tugged at Peter’s shirt, throwing it on the ground as his nails raked down the boys’ sides. “I get you hard enough to fuck me and let you bring it home?” 

“Yes,” Peter agreed without a moment’s hesitation. 

“Pants off. I need a minute.” He pecked Peter’s temple and moved to the drawer he kept his favorite toys in. Well, the sexual ones. He pulled out the wider of his Aneros toys, a little smile on his lips. This particular model was top five. He also picked up a thicker, vibrating butt plug to put in after his cock was already drooling. “Lube preference?” 

“I like the orange smelling one.” Tony glanced over to find Peter standing there naked and already half hard. He was going to have to finish him once before they fucked or the kid was going to pop off too soon. Again, not a hardship in the least. “Hey… um… sorry if I offended you earlier.” 

Tony’s brows creased. He pulled out the requested lube and a couple condoms before heading back with the spoils of his drawer. “I told you early on that I will answer your questions.” 

“Not that… um… maybe I was weird when I said about being a bottom? I didn’t mean …”

“… yeah, don’t remember.” Tony did, but he was curious where this was going. “Refresh me.” 

“I asked if I had to bottom and … I think I was not … “

“You think being a bottom is a bad thing,” Tony asked. 

“NO! Not at all.” 

Peter surged forward a little and Tony shook his head. “It’s ok. Peter… relax. Some guys never bottom. Do you feel like I’m pushing you?” Tony took off his pants and gave himself a couple strokes just to get things situated. 

“No. No, that’s…” Peter knew he’d put his foot in it and Tony wasn’t helping him. He had, however, started to lube himself up. “Do you miss it?” 

“Being on top?” Tony shook his head. “Peter, I enjoy being a bottom.” He leaned in and ran his teeth over the shell of Peter’s ear. “I enjoy being _your_ bottom.” Tony brought Peter’s hands to his ass. “If I haven’t expressed it through the moans, groans, and other inhuman sounds that you’ve ripped out of me while we’ve fucked… I really enjoy the hell out of your cock.” Tony’s hands wrapped around Peter, thumb working over the head in a slow circle. “Now can we start?” 

“Yes, please.” Tony was amused by the relief on Peter’s face, more so when it turned to arousal as Tony dropped to his knees. He was quick as he pushed the toy into his ass, the stretch nothing at all right now and his body immediately welcomed the toy, nestling it in just right. Tony groaned around the head of Peter’s cock and Peter leaned back against the bed on his elbows just staring at Tony. “It’s inside you?” Tony nodded as he bobbed on Peter, swallowing the head of that long prick as deep as he could. 

It was clear from the little conversation, Peter was worried about what it meant to be a bottom or to like being a bottom. Tony decided that today he was going to show him just why being a bottom was amazing. He took a moment as his body started to work the toy in and out a little, massaging with the curves of the toy. “This one fits in just right,” Tony told him with a groan. He ran his cheek along the inside of Peter’s soft thigh before wrapping his mouth around the young man’s balls and sucking roughly. He traded between being adoring and being a downright cock slut for awhile depending on what the toy was doing inside of him. Tony’s cock was a steady dribble of precum which had started to leave a wet spot on the ground below him. He pulled back from Peter for a breath, shifting back so he could change his angle a little. “Fuck.” 

Tony was unaware of how long he’d been, but by the time he refocused on Peter, he was moaning rather loudly. Tony had sat back on his heels, thighs spread as he moved down on the toy. “Wow. W… wow,” Peter nodded at the head of Tony’s cock where it was not shy about the heavy beads of precum sliding down his prick. “That’s…a lot.” 

“That’s the prostate,” Tony told him as he reached behind and reluctantly withdrew the toy. If he was going to get that beautiful cock inside him, he was going to have to slow way the hell down. He’d been close, too close too quick. But that was what Peter did to him more often than not. “Think you can last if you get inside me soon?” So much for more oral. Tony needed Peter. Now. Tony searched the younger man’s face, brow raised. 

“I don’t know.” 

“Top drawer, long black box. Grab it.” Tony was not in a place where he could walk right now. Peter brought it back and Tony flipped it open. “It will help you last. Condom,” Tony reminded as he tossed one to Peter. Tony pulled out a leather strap with a few snaps as the condom rolled down. Peter nodded and Tony slipped it around the base of Peter’s cock behind his balls, tightening until it was secure and firmly cut off most of the chance for Peter to blow early. 

“That’s…”

“Snug? That’s the point.” Tony slicked him up with some lube and turned around, ass in the air. It was all Peter needed and the kid was on him, lining up and pushing home a little too fast. Tony gasped, thighs spreading wider as his hands reached out to press into the base of the dresser. Peter really had the perfect cock for this. He favored a long stroke and his cock had a nice fat head that pulled and pushed his prostate with each one of those long, fast strokes. “Can you feel where it is?” 

“Kind of. I know where it is,” Peter told Tony as he shifted inside until Tony gasped a little. “There we go.” Peter understood his job and started to move. His hands moved up Tony’s back until they rested at his shoulders, pulling Tony back onto his cock a little harder. He let out a desperate gasp at the gesture and Peter just leaned in to nip his ear. “Just tell me what you need to make this happen, Tony.” Peter’s fingers moved to his hips now, holding Tony still as he sped a little. He moved with a little more confidence probably because of the cock ring, but whatever it was Tony appreciated it. 

“You,” was all Tony could really say as his head turned so he could kiss Peter. Peter brought him back to sit on those strong thighs, Tony’s cock bobbing in the wind so to speak. It occurred to Tony that Peter was watching. His hips moved and Tony’s cock would bounce and pulse with each move. That whip smart brain got the correlation at once and started to aim for that pulse. Tony just threw an arm around Peter’s neck and let him follow those killer instincts. Was this part Spidey Sense?, Tony wondered. 

Peter might have been unsure at the beginning, but he had rapidly lost that to the point he was whispering encouragement into Tony’s ear. “You’re so hot, Tony.” Ego sufficiently pumped up, Tony started to move back on Peter, clamping down hard around his cock until the younger man whimpered. “Please… This thing…. I’ve….”

“It can stop you most of the time, but it’s not 100%,” Tony warned. He brought Peter’s hands to his chest, encouraging him by leaving those long, talented fingers at his nipples. Peter took the suggestion and started to tease Tony’s chest. “Think you can go hard for a few minutes?” 

“Go… oh, like… “ Peter moved Tony back onto hands and knees then started to move hard and fast, hands gripping Tony’s hips so he had nowhere to go. “Like this?” Tony just nodded his hung head and made a guttural sound. Being on hands and knees kept him from grabbing his leaking prick. Tony wanted to cum so fucking bad but he wasn’t quite there. That was part of the joy and pain of this particular type of orgasm. Peter did what he asked and went hard. And for Peter that was no small thing. He had the strongest thighs Tony had ever had in a lover and that meant that he fucked like a damn demon when he got overwrought. That was helping Tony in this case, though it was intense enough to pull sounds from him he would never acknowledge as his own. 

“P… Peter… fuck… fuck… hard…” Tony’s forehead pressed down to anchor himself as he felt Peter’s hand creep up his spine to the back of his head. Peter held tight as his hips rocked into Tony roughly. 

“Close… close,” Peter warned. “I need to see when you…” Peter had slowed significantly, focusing down on Tony’s prostate. His eyes were starting to cross from the stimulation and it was moving past the pleasure side of pleasure/pain into some real agony. “Sit back.” Tony was a limp dishrag and Peter ended up pulling Tony to sit up. He found the right height and with one arm around Tony’s middle and the other running all over Tony’s body, Peter started to work. “Tony… God….” 

With Peter’s attention focused on him like that, Tony felt a warm calm spread through him despite being so keyed up he thought he could fly at this point. “Yes, Peter.” Tony chanted it as the boy’s lips ran over his throat and found that spot behind his ear to nip. Tony’s hearing went wonky and he knew what was happening before he actually started. “Cumming… Peter… Jesus…” The boy, to his credit, didn’t lose so much as a stroke until Tony actually started. He gripped Peter’s arm hard, hips arching against the strong grip holding him. Tony swore roughly a few times while Peter refused to stop, whispering in his ear how beautiful he was. Tony was breathless, leaning back into Peter as his body trembled through aftershocks, jerking as the cock inside him abused his swollen prostate. Tony heard the snap of the cock ring coming off and Peter finished with a soft gasp in Tony’s shoulder, arms still tight around him. 

Peter moved them to the bed, not pulling out, not saying anything more than Tony’s name and how good he felt. Peter was an effusive lover and Tony appreciated that. He needed to be appreciated and appreciated being appreciated in the way Peter did it. “I love you,” the young man said softly against Tony’s shoulder blade. Tony reached back to stroke Peter’s hip in acknowledgment, turning his head to catch the man’s mouth with his own in a lazy kiss. Peter let out a soft, wrung out noise when Tony pulled off of him, but he took care of the condom quickly before settling in to rest at Tony’s side, head on Tony’s chest. They’d been settled in for a couple of minutes, just catching their breath when Peter spoke. “Did I tell you I made a decision?”

“Finally picked Coke over Pepsi,” Tony teased.

“No… school.” 

Tony found all the relaxation pulled out of the moment. “Oh?” He’d been worried that Peter might pick somewhere like MIT and then Tony would lose him. “What’s the decision?”

“Hunter College.” Tony winced. “What… it’s affordable…”

“That should not be the first thing you list when talking about the school of your dreams,” Tony pointed out.

“I didn’t say it was the school of my dreams.” Peter came up on his elbow looking down at Tony while he played with the man’s chest hair. “I said it was the school I picked.” 

“You’re not going to learn anything there, besides you know how I feel about college.” 

“But it’s not like you had the typical college experience, Tony.” Peter ran his fingers through Tony’s hair, thumb rubbing his temple in a slow circle. “Hunter’s fine. It keeps me in the city, May isn’t having kittens over the price, and I am going to be a lot closer a lot of the time.” 

“A lot of the … are you talking about being a commuter? Jesus Christ, kid. Listen,” Tony sat up and looked at Peter fully. “Money is no longer a thing for you.” Tony waved his hands like a magician. “If you haven’t noticed, I’m incredibly rich,” Tony nodded at the beautiful view of the city from their bedroom window. “Let me….”

“I’ll stop you there.” 

“This is going to be a speech about earning your own money and way, let me tune you out now.”

“That’s important though.” Peter stared Tony right in the eye. “I want to be able to say I can take care of myself.” 

“… who’s stopping you? What I’m talking about is a bank account that you control.” 

“I have an account,” Peter said.

“Get a toaster when you opened it? Come on, Parker you know what I mean.” Tony was starting to get frustrated. Why did people do this when he tried to be nice? “One of the really good things about being super-mega-crazy rich,” Tony teased, “is being able to do nice things for the people I love.” Tony was about to get the _I’ll think about it_ concession so he pushed ahead. “Call it an internship if that’s what you need. Come do crap in the lab with me a few hours a week and consider earning your keep or whatever you need to believe.” Tony wondered if Peter actually understood that he could write the kid a five million dollar check and probably make that back in the market tomorrow? Peter had all these weird ideas about money and how to earn it the _right_ way, hard work and all that nonsense. Tony didn’t operate like that and it was one of the few things they genuinely disagreed about, but Tony tried to push most of the time. This, however, was stupid. This was Peter’s education, his future.

“I don’t need to be paid to come see you.” 

“You make it sound like you’re a hooker,” Tony slid out of bed trying very hard not to wince. Everything inside him felt tender as hell. “The account’s already there for you. Literally all you need to do is sign the back of the card. Do whatever you want, Peter.” He was frustrated and about to get mean. Pepper had taught him long ago that when he hit that point, it was time to at least attempt to remove himself. 

“You’re going to walk away,” Peter asked, sitting up. “Tony, don’t.” He reached out and caught Tony’s hand, joining him to stand. “Hey… “ Peter caught his face in both hands and looked at him with those big, searching eyes. “I’m not with you for your money. I do not care about black cards or nice cars… You’re more than that.” 

“I KNOW,” Tony pulled away and headed toward the bathroom. “I’m trying to make your life easier. That’s all. Seriously. Jesus fucking Christ, Peter.” He could feel his anger swelling up to the point of explosion, something he had worked hard to learn how to keep in check. “I’m trying to do something nice for you. Why can’t people just accept that I don’t care about any of it? I don’t give a flying fuck about the money, about this place,” he gestured around to the tower.” Tony leaned in close, knowing he looked nuts. “I built my fortune on two things… my father’s wealth and the blood of innocents.” Tony rarely talked about his time as a weapons developer with Peter. The kid actually looked away and couldn’t meet his eye. That one hurt. “I’m going to take a shower and go work downstairs.” It was not an invitation and Tony made that clear when he closed the door to the bathroom in Peter’s face. To his credit, Peter didn’t knock or make a fuss. Tony was grateful for that because he didn’t want to deal with any more emotional things today. He’d already done a lot. He needed to get himself right. After fishing in the cabinet for a couple of moments, Tony found what he was looking for. Pulling out two airplane bottles of vodka, he uncapped both and them into a tumbler from the sink before taking a healthy pull. So what he had vodka in his bathroom? Didn’t everybody?


	25. Chapter 25

“… are you out of your mind!?” Peter’s eyes went wide as his aunt actually shouted at him. “You turned down an internship, a full ride to the college… Peter, did you hit your head? My God?” She was up, moving. That meant she was really upset. He’d needed to talk to someone about all this and Aunt May was there. “Ok… ok… breathe…” She was talking to herself. “Tell me why you said no.” Peter hadn’t thought this through. Why was he talking to her again? “Peter, it’s ok to accept help.” Her eyes were all misty. Damn it. 

“I think you should be able to do things on your own.” It sounded lame even to Peter’s ears. “I want to be able to say that I did it on my own.” 

She reached down and petted his hair a moment before giving him a little smack in the back of the head. “Peter, no one does anything alone. Even if you said no to his offer, you would have needed loans. That requires help. You know I’m not going to be able to do much, Peter. I think you should call him back and accept.” 

“It’s…”

“It was incredibly generous of him. And Peter… even if you went to Harvard, the cost of that is pennies to a man like Tony Stark. You’re smart, you understand that right?” She held his face in both hands. “You think, buddy. I’m going to have some wine.” She walked away mumbling about kids and pride, but Peter was more focused on the actual reasons why he didn’t want to take Tony’s money. He felt a little like a whore taking actual money, but then he took the gifts Tony gave him. And Tony was generous. Very generous, Peter thought as he glanced down at the watch on his wrist, another gift from the man. 

He escaped into his bedroom as quickly as he could, reminding himself what a bad idea it was to talk to May about this. But no one else knew about him and Tony or really could know. But that wasn’t the truth, was it? Peter pulled out his phone and found the number he was looking for. He sent a text asking for a meeting on neutral ground. Normally they’d just go for Stark Tower, but Peter wanted to know that everything he said was private and you could never say that with 100% certainty anywhere Friday was. Peter picked a place to meet close to where Rhodey lived, not wanting to be a total inconvenience. It was a burger joint and Peter was already through his first burger when Rhodey walked through the door. He got the dude nod and then Rhode came over to join him. “Hey.”

“Hey,” Peter echoed. “Thanks for coming.” They made smalltalk for awhile, nothing major at all until Rhodey had ordered and they were alone. “Um…”

“I want you to know that all this is between us, ok? He might be my friend, but you… I think you need some non-sexual male guidance.” Peter’s brows knitted, anger welling. Tony did help him, guide him. It wasn’t _all_ about sex! “I know my friend,” Rhodey reasoned. “He tries to be a good person. He really does, but damn does he fail in spectacular ways sometimes.” 

Peter couldn’t help but feel like one of those ways Tony failed. “He’s being a good person in this case,” Peter quietly defended. “He offered to pay for school.” 

Rhodey stared at him a moment. “Ok… and?” 

“… that’s a lot of money.”   
“To you,” Rhodey told him. “That man has lost a couple of degree’s worth of money at the poker table. Can’t bluff.” The older man seemed almost relieved and almost dismissive of Peter’s concerns. Though he hadn’t actually heard his concerns. “He can be really generous. Between us, I think he sees some of it as penance.” Peter grimaced. “Oh, no. Can’t cut out the bad parts. You have to take the whole package.” 

“He’s a different man now.” 

“Is he?” Rhodey nodded that the waitress was coming back. They were quiet until she left again. “Listen, I get what you’re saying about him. He has changed in some ways. He just… don’t kid yourself and think that all the bad shit in his past is gone. You take the good with the bad, not just the good parts all neatly packaged.” 

“I’ve been through a lot with him,” Peter defended. If anyone knew how hard it was to keep Tony operational, it was Rhodey and yet he wasn’t getting any credit or acknowledgement for that. How many times had Peter helped clean Tony up, made sure he was fed, rubbed his back when he woke from a nightmare? “I know he’s not all neat and pretty. I love him anyway.” Rhodey rolled his eyes. “I do.”

“Don’t doubt the love, just the delivery,” Rhodey said with hands up in surrender. “I say accept it. Don’t be stupid with the money, get your education and maybe some new clothes.” 

“My clothes are fine.” 

“Mmmmhmmm,” Rhodey said with a cluck of his tongue. “Just be glad it’s not a giant rabbit.” Rhodey waited until the waitress dropped off their food to continue. “… fifty feet tall, and that was without the ears stuck up.” 

Peter was laughing by the time he left, confident in his decision both to be with Tony and to accept his generosity. Peter had just picked up his cell to see if Tony was up when it rang in his hand. “Hey May, I’m….” She broke in, telling him about a friend in Virginia who’d been hurt in a car accident. “Slow down… May… “ Peter hurried toward the train, getting details. “Are you leaving now?”   
“Train’s in half an hour or I have to wait until morning.” It was clear that she was packing by all the background noise. “I’ll call you when I get there.” Then she told him to eat his vegetables and not to forget to put the trash down the chute when he got home. 

And like that, Peter was alone for the night with a boyfriend to apologize to. He ended up in Tony’s living room watching the man doing math in the air, empty bottles scattered around the space. They had only exchanged a text or two for the past two days, both of them angry and needing space. Had Tony slept since then? “Hi.” 

Tony glanced over at him. “Hi. Move.” Peter was very aware that Tony wasn’t seeing him. All he was seeing was an impediment to his mathematical flow. Peter stood there a good five minutes letting Tony finish his work before the man’s eyes came into focus and he actually _saw_ Peter. “… hi. Hi.” Tony blinked a few times, shaking his head. “Did you say you were coming or… is that for me?” 

“No and yes,” Peter extended a gift bag. “I felt bad that I was kind of mean to you.” 

“We’re not talking about that, but what is in there?” Tony’s curiosity got the better of him and he came close, taking the bag. Inside Peter had put a little scientific bender care package. Beef jerky, energy drink, three of the notebooks Tony liked and two of the strangely shaped carpenter’s pencils he favored. “… thank you.” Tony seemed slightly confused but genuinely touched. “You didn’t have to.”

“I actually wanted to get you these really nice drill bits but I thought you might need this more.” Peter moved in, wrapping his arms around Tony and squeezing him tight. “I’m sorry.” 

“We’re not talking about that. Do … whatever you need to. I won’t bring it up again.” Peter watched Tony clearly at war with himself. 

“I want the internship.” Peter smiled a little. “If it’s still available.” 

Tony’s face changed from distant discomfort to real pleasure in a split second. “It is. Though… I still think you should be a commuter.” Peter’s brows knitted together. “MIT is only an hour away commuter. I can get you back and forth in 30.”

“What? Tony… MIT is in Boston. I’m not going to Boston.“

“You belong at MIT if you’re going to go anywhere. And I want you here. So use one of my planes when you have class.” 

“… wait, I just went from I’ll take tuition to a city college to MIT and private jets,” Peter asked. 

“I don’t half ass. Plus, you earned MIT yourself. I sent some of your designs to an old friend. You’ve had admission there for almost a year.” 

“What the hell?” Peter’s head was spinning. “Tony, you got me into MIT?” 

“Well, you got you into MIT. I sent an email.” He cocked his head to the side in that way that reminded Peter of a Labrador. “Literally, it said: Look at these. He took it from there.” Tony shrugged as though it wasn’t a big deal at all. 

“… start from the beginning.” Peter was trying very hard not to flip out, but if what Tony was saying was true, he’d just been accepted sight unseen by MIT. And apparently Tony had a plan. Peter would have use of one of his properties in Boston for whenever he needed to stay but at least a couple nights a week he’d come back. “Back…”

“Back here… back… back home,” Tony told him. 

Peter smiled and leaned in to press his lips to Tony’s temple. “Ok.” 

“After all that… just ok?” 

“Yep,” Peter wrapped his arms around Tony and hugged him tightly, getting the same in return. “You knew I’d come around?” 

“… I wanted to be prepared if you did. Besides, I put that into motion a year ago.” And to Tony, the plane would be a throw away. Rhodey was right about how Tony viewed his fortune. “Also… I think you should patent your reclaimed heat warming drawer… actually, it’s already done. I just need you to pick which company you want to produce it. While we’re on the subject of things I put into motion.”

“You patented my design?”

“And you have four companies who want it. Stark included.” Tony sipped at the drink he’d picked up, something alcoholic enough to start on fire. “Don’t do my guys any favors with the price. Put them through their paces.” Peter had a feeling that Stark would end up with the patent regardless, that the bidding was just a show. His ego did not mind that. “Here,” Tony walked over and picked up his tablet, punching up the numbers as he finished his drink and tossed the glass somewhere in the direction of the carpet. 

“Tony, you’re wasted.” 

“I am,” he agreed. “I can’t believe you brought me pencils.” Tony smiled at him, and Peter realized all was forgiven. Tony didn’t hold grudges mostly because he couldn’t waste that much brainpower on them. “Are you staying?” 

“If that’s ok?”

“Always,” Tony told him turning serious for a moment. “Always, Peter. You are always welcome here.” The tone of his voice changed and Tony came closer, wrapping one arm around Peter’s waist loosely. His fingers combed through Peter’s hair, getting him to shudder in no time.  
“In case you haven’t noticed, I’m pretty gone on you Underoos.” Peter did know, could feel how much Tony cared about him in pretty much every moment they were together. “Think about it at least… MIT, commuting.” Tony’s hand rubbed the back of his neck firmly, leaning in to kiss Peter for real. Tony tasted like booze and mint, not the best combo, but good because it was him. Peter couldn’t have felt more at home as they stood there kissing furiously in the middle of Tony’s mess, in the middle of his math. With a solid plan for his future, Peter felt ready.


	26. Chapter 26

Peter hurried around, cleaning up before Tony got there. He’d convinced the man to come over for dinner while May was still in Virginia. She’d been there two days already and would probably stay another two. Peter was thrilled with that, though it sucked for the hurt friend. Still, it meant he could have Tony over to _his_ house. It was exciting. Tony texted twenty minutes ago to say he was leaving so Peter only had a few minutes until he got there, so he took a moment to check himself over in the mirror. He’d picked a good t-shirt and a pair of jeans Tony seemed to really like. Whenever Peter wore them around the house, Tony usually ended up pinning him to something. And, really, that was the goal. 

He jumped when there was finally a knock at the door and hurried over. Tony was standing there looking distraught. “Elevator,” Peter asked. 

“Why is there always a couple in there humping,” Tony asked with horror as Peter welcomed him in. 

“Welcome to Queens,” Peter tried to joke, but Tony had already went to the window and opened it, trying to catch his breath. Enclosed spaces were agony for him, and Peter knew to just give Tony a minute. And a drink. He offered up a glass of red wine which Tony accepted with one hand while pulling Peter close with the other. “Really… you ok?” 

“I am now,” Tony said cheesily as he looked at Peter then his glass. “Won’t Aunt Hottie miss this?” 

“Stole it from your place,” Peter told Tony honestly. “I keep a couple of bottles here for you just in case,” Peter admitted. Maybe it was weird to prepare for your boyfriend’s arrival by stashing a bunch of liquor in your closet, but Peter would rather be strange than leave Tony in the lurch. 

“Saint,” Tony exclaimed and kissed Peter’s temple before taking a healthy drink from his glass. Peter didn’t want to think about how hard this would be for Tony if he hadn’t managed some booze. Though, if Peter searched Tony, he was relatively sure he’d find a flask. 

Tony took another drink before peeling off of Peter and starting his circuit around the apartment. Peter knew what he was doing, scanning for listening devices and maybe laying down a couple of his own for Peter to play with later. Tony was nothing if not paranoid and had probably had Friday scan the place six ways to Sunday before he set foot inside. Tony lingered at the family photos May had hanging on the wall, making Peter a little uncomfortable. “Underoos from way back, then,” Tony asked. Peter knew which picture Tony was talking about and flinched.

“It had trucks,” Peter reasoned, walking closer. Peter both loved and hated the photo Tony was looking at, not because it featured Peter aged two years old in a truck onesie. “My mom said that I was super bummed out when I outgrew them.” 

“That’s her,” Tony asked. 

“Yeah.” Peter felt Tony’s arm tighten around his shoulders, fingers squeezing just a little too hard. He missed the hell out of his parents, but rarely talked about them to anyone. No one got what it meant to lose both parents suddenly at once. “Plane crash.” 

“Car wreck,” Tony countered. It took Peter a minute, but once he thought about it, hadn’t Tony’s parents both died when he was young too? “Scar tissue,” Tony said dismissively before finishing his wine and heading off in the direction of the bottle. “Time builds it up, wraps all of it up in scar tissue. Wound’s always there, though.” Peter watched Tony’s fingers flick absently toward the place in his chest where the arc reactor had sat. “So what are we eating?”

The sudden change of subject was jarring but helpful for getting minds trailing away from the direction of dead parents and kidnapping. “Um… I made a roast.” 

“A roast,” Tony asked with a smarmy little smirk. “… roast what?”

“Pork.” Now that he was saying it aloud it sounded kind of lame. Peter had the idea to make a nice dinner, if sort of an old fashioned one, for Tony. He’d made pork, mashed potatoes, and green beans. “Or I can order something…”

“You cooked for me.” It wasn’t the first time, but every time Tony seemed pleased and a little put off by it. That meant it was something emotional, that he was also remembering something that hurt him. “Again.”

“I like to cook,” Peter pointed out. “And you were coming here for dinner.” 

“Very Suzie Homemaker of you.” Peter rolled his eyes at Tony as he sipped on his water. “It smells good, though.” 

Tony’s stomach growled loudly and Peter’s brow rose. “When was your last meal, Tony?” 

“While ago,” he shrugged. That meant Tony didn’t remember. Peter walked over with a roll smeared with a thick honey butter May got from the farmers market. “Carbs?” 

“Shut up and eat it.” Tony didn’t argue as he took a bite, groaning at how tasty it was. Peter knew that could be a 50/50 thing with his aunt. “May has a crush on the farmers market guy. It’s gross.” He nodded at the shelf of homemade jams, honey with the comb in it, and pickles in heavy glass jars. 

“A farmers market in the Bronx?” 

“Yes, we have fresh food here, Tony. And indoor plumbing.” Tony got a playful shove as Peter walked over to the stove to check the roast. “Snob.”

“Yup,” Tony had never denied that, hopping up to sit on the counter while Peter worked. “I’d offer to help but I don’t want to do anything.” Peter handed Tony the bowl of boiled, drained potatoes and the masher. “Really… I don’t cook.”  
“You aren’t cooking. You’re mashing.” Peter gave Tony a tutorial which lasted all of ten seconds before Tony started gleefully smashing potatoes. “You’re a natural.” 

“Yeah, meant for the kitchen,” Tony teased. But he mashed and Peter was pleased with that. Tony was trying really hard on some counts. Peter highly doubted that Tony Stark had cooked a meal in his life, and if he had it hadn’t turned out well. Cup-o-noodles, that kind of thing he’d probably be fine with. Much more than that and he’d need serious help. “What? Like a watching a monkey type Shakespeare,” Tony asked making a monkey face at Peter. It dissolved into Tony chittering like a monkey and chasing Peter around the kitchen, potatoes abandoned. 

Peter let Tony catch him in the living room, grinning as the older man wrapped both arms around his waist and blew a very loud raspberry into Peter’s neck. “Ew! Ugh!” He fake fought Tony off and Tony just kept it up, his arms firm around Peter’s waist. 

“You’re terrible at this,” Tony teased before they kissed. Peter felt a depth of freedom being able to stand in the middle of his own living room and kiss his boyfriend without a second thought. Tony’s hand slid down to grip Peter’s ass cheek, squeezing as Tony’s tongue did that thing on the roof of Peter’s mouth that made his toes curl. Tony broke the kiss bringing Peter up breathless and actually trembling a little. Tony broke the kiss, trailing his lips down Peter’s jaw then up to the shell of his ear. “Hand me that.” He pointed to a pillow near Peter’s right hand. It was a relatively simple command but Peter’s brain was addled, drunk on adrenaline and oxytocin. When Peter’s brain caught up and he all but threw the pillow at Tony who smirked again, damn it. Tony dropped the pillow to the floor at Peter’s feet. “What’s my timeline?”

Peter blinked dumbly at Tony until he nodded at the stove. “… fifteen… tw… twenty minutes,” he shrugged. “I… in all honesty,” Peter said as his fingers ran through Tony’s hair, “screw the roast.” Tony snorted, his hands already unzipping his pants. 

“I came here for dinner,” Tony told him with a frown before sliding his hands down the fronts of Peter’s thighs. “Sit.” 

Peter moved easily to the couch, staring at Tony with palpable anticipation. He thought his pulse might just march out of his neck. “Jesus,” Tony grazed his mouth over the front of Peter’s boxers, hot breath seeping through the fabric. His hands moved to Tony’s shoulders, running over his neck and into his hair as Tony started to play. That was the only way Peter could describe it. Tony wasn’t trying to push him hard and fast, he wasn’t doing much more than mouthing over him now and again, but it was already driving Peter mental. “Tony,” Peter breathed softly, his fingertips running through the man’s hair as his mouth finally wrapped around the head of Peter’s cock. It was slow, sucking and pulling off as Tony stroked him. “Love… love that,” he nodded. Tony’s hands were all over his thighs, his balls, a sort of blur of motion as the man started to bob. It was that slow, deep bob that made Peter’s whole body clench up. He gripped Tony’s shoulder a little hard, gasping his name when the man took him to the root. This was yet another of those sexual things Peter had no clue how Tony managed it. 

Peter didn’t bother trying to keep himself quiet, Tony had put on music at some point, no doubt hijacking Peter’s wifi to do so. He let out a gasp when Tony went down and stayed down, his throat clamping down around Peter’s cock. He brought Peter’s hand to the back of his head and just stayed there, moving a little now and then, but mostly managing to stay there. “My God… God… fuck… “ Peter wasn’t a big swearer, but he felt like your handsome boyfriend deep throating might be a good time to drop a couple. Actually, there was no thought process involved. Tony just made him feel _that_ good. He chanted his boyfriend’s name as he rubbed the back of Tony’s neck, watching him come up long enough to grab a breath then go back down once more. He went at it until Peter came, arching up off the arm of the couch hard. He dimly registered his phone falling out of his pocket, but it wasn’t until Tony was kissing him that his senses cleared enough to hear more than his heartbeat. 

That was when Peter heard the last thing he in the world he wanted to hear, and strangely enough it was his name. “Peter? Peter are you there?” A familiar voice asked through the speaker of his phone. Peter dimly registered Tony’s horrified expression as his eyes fell on the very active cell phone sitting on the cushion next to them.


	27. Chapter 27

Peter just stared at the text as Tony stood by the window trying to catch his breath. They’d gone from this playful, sweet moment to Tony trying not to have a complete panic attack. “It’s ok… it’s ok. I… I can spin this.” 

“You can spin this,” Tony asked with wide eyed disbelief, hands flailing. “You’re fucking kidding, right? He heard me giving you head!” But Peter’s phone was ringing and Tony thought he might vomit so he headed toward the window in hopes of catching a clean breath in Queens. Good luck. 

A chime went off in the kitchen telling them that the roast was done and Peter pointed as he took the call. “… hey, you wanted to talk?” Peter was nervous, Tony could tell, but he wasn’t talking too much. That was good. That was smart. Tony reminded himself half a dozen times that Peter really was smart. He could do this. Tony _had_ to believe that. “Oh… Oh,” Peter tried to seem surprised but sounded a little more like a monkey. “No… oh my God, no. That’s… “ Tony turned the oven off and opened the door to let it cool, not wanting to actually touch the food. “So… um… yeah. I’ve got the place to myself. Sorry, man. Must have pocket dialed you. What?” Peter looked over at Tony who stood by the open stove, “yea, maybe I have a crush. It’s… he’s the only… No, of course he doesn’t know!” Peter gave Tony a confident nod. “No, don’t. You … no, seriously. We don’t need to talk face-to…. Harry?” Peter stared down at his phone. “Crap.” Peter frowned frowned at Tony, “you need to go.” 

“What the hell happened?” 

“Um… he thought I was jerking off.” Peter pinked up. 

“Oh thank God.” 

“But now he also thinks I have a huge crush on you and was asking me about my sexuality. Like… weird stuff,” Peter grimaced. “He… it … I think he might be coming here to come out to me.”  
Now it was Tony’s turn to grimace. “Don’t kid yourself, Parker. He’s coming here to get lucky.” 

“Well that’s not going to be an issue,” Peter told Tony as he pointed to his shoes at the door. “Unless you do want a much bigger issue than me telling Harry I only like older guys, you need to get out of here. Like now.” 

“He’s going to try something, Peter. Just be ready.” Tony was pissed, he could feel the worry because he had no doubt that Harry Osborn wanted Peter. Who wouldn’t? He was amazing. Tony had seen lust in Osborn’s kid the minute Tony laid eyes on him out to dinner with Peter. “Don’t trust him.”  
“He’s my best friend, Tony. I do trust him. Now I need you to trust me and go. Harry is going to be here in fifteen minutes.” Tony’s brow rose because Harry Osborn certainly did _not_ live in the area. “He hangs around at a coffee shop not too far.” There, Tony knew it. Why would Harry Osborn hang out here? What in the world would make him want to be Queens other than Peter Parker? Tony headed for the door worried as hell that he was leaving Peter to be thrown to the wolves. Or one horny teenaged wolf at the least. “Hey… call me tonight, ok?” Peter ran his fingers through Tony’s hair. “Or if I can get rid of him early enough I’ll wrap all this up and bring it home.” 

Tony stood there for a moment, quiet with his hands in Peter’s. Home. Peter thought of the tower as home. That helped. “Text me to let me know how its going.” Peter agreed and then Tony was in the hall hurrying for the elevator. He was going to reinforce Peter’s fire escape and start wearing a suit over. Instead of going right home, Tony found a bar close by and wound his way to the back. Peter kept him updated with simple texts, bare details, and Tony kept himself occupied in between with the bottle of vodka he’d taken from the bar in exchange for a hundred bucks. The waitress knew what he needed and just brought him a glass.


	28. Chapter 28

“Hey,” Harry stood in Peter’s doorway, smiling nervously. 

“You really didn’t have to come….” 

But Harry was walking through the doorway, a hand cupping the back of Peter’s head pulling him into a tight hug. “I want you to know nothing’s changed, Peter. You’re still my best friend ok. It’s cool that you’re gay.” Harry had that soft, wobbly tone that got to Peter sometimes. 

“Uh… um… ok,” Peter said with a thick swallow. “Sorry I pocket dialed you. I was….”

“Occupied,” Harry suggested with a lewd brow wiggle, on his way back from the hug. “I heard. Man that sounded….” Harry whistled as he pulled back. Peter could smell the booze fresh on Harry’s breath and groaned. He said a silent prayer that Tony wasn’t right. Harry was a good looking guy, but he was Peter’s best friend. “What were you doing because I don’t think I’ve ever finished like that by myself.” Harry welcomed himself into Peter’s living room, wandering around. 

Peter flushed deeply and tried to get his voice to work. “Just the normal stuff. It’s… it’s just been awhile.” 

“You lasted a long time for someone who’s been waiting awhile.” Harry looked around a little, his cheeks flushing. “That’s… it’s kind of hot actually.” 

_Shit_. “It was private. Just… sorry. Why don’t we play some Call of Duty? I could even do some Grand Theft Auto….” 

“No… it’s ok. Don’t be sorry.” Harry approached again, his hand running up and down Peter’s arm. _Please don’t_. “I … I liked it a lot.” _Damn it._ “Peter, I’ve … “ Then there were lips on his and Peter stood there stunned, eyes wide as Harry pulled him in close. He was all hands and tongue and Peter pulled back the minute his brain kicked in but he reminded himself not to push too hard or pull back too fast. 

“Harry, what the hell, man?” 

“… it’s better than your own hand, trust me.” Harry’s hands moved to Peter’s hips, holding him there close. Peter was stunned and horrified at the same time, so angry that Tony was right and that he’d been so utterly blind to his friend’s secondary motivations. “You ever try anything for real with another guy?” Harry’s hands kept moving and Peter was trying hard not to be a jerk or to upset his friend, but he was also attempting to make it clear that he wasn’t interested by gently attempting to extricate himself. “I bet it’s hard to work with Tony when you are crushing so hard. He’s a good looking guy. Nice butt.” 

There was the magic word. “Harry, no. Come on, man. Mr. Stark and I are friends at best, but really… he’s like my boss or something.” Peter knew he was grasping at straws, also he was finding it a challenge to stay out of Harry’s grasp. Damn it. 

“And that’s why you and I are perfect. We can do whatever we want, we trust each other…. I’m your friend, not your older boss.” Harry’s fingers stroked Peter’s jaw and he gave him that soft look that Peter usually fell for. Harry leaned in and pressed his forehead to Peter’s. “This makes sense, Peter. We make sense.” Then there were lips again and Harry’s hand was rubbing the front of his thigh. 

“I said no,” Peter gave Harry a push away this time, showing he meant what he was saying. “I… I don’t feel that way about you.” 

“Peter… “ Harry’s eyes welled up and Peter immediately got that emotional gut punch that only his best friend could provide. He just felt so incredibly betrayed by Harry right now that Peter couldn’t help but be angry at Harry for crying right now. How dare he be all emotional when it was Peter show as in an INCREDIBLY shitty situation? “I just… I thought…. You’re my best friend.” 

“Exactly,” Peter told him as he kept a little distance. “You’re my best friend and I don’t want to jeopardize that for something physical.” Peter took a couple of deep breaths, reminding himself that Harry _was_ his friend, he was probably a little drunk, and he was new to this. Maybe even a little infatuated based on the way Harry was making heart eyes. 

“Peter, we’d be perfect together and you know it.” 

“Harry, I don’t know that. Please… stop.” Peter was sincerely wishing that Harry would go but found that his friend wasn’t budging and had hands like an octopus.

“What… do you think you’ve actually got a shot with Tony Stark?” Harry laughed as he moved away, anger welling up like it typically did when Harry didn’t get his way. Peter loved his friend, but he also _knew_ him. “Come on, Pete. Even if you did… he’s a.) really old and b.) has screwed pretty much everything with a pulse….” 

Peter cut Harry off sharply, glaring at him. “Don’t be an asshole because you’re jealous.”

“Jealous of what,” Harry asked. “You and your hand named Tony?” 

Peter was blisteringly angry but trying not to show just how much. He couldn’t let Harry know what was going on. “You’re drunk, Harry.” 

“And?” 

Harry sounded eerily like Tony in that moment and Peter was struck by that in a way he’d have to analyze in depth later. So much was going to have to wait for later. “I need you to leave. You’re drunk and nothing is going to happen between us.” 

Harry came in close, running his fingers down Peter’s arm. “I give great head, Peter.” “From behind I might even look like him.” Now Harry was getting pathetic. “You can fuck me.” Harry dropped to his knees, grabbing for Peter’s waist. It was a mockery of what he and Tony had done earlier and Peter jumped back. “From behind I might even look like him.”

“Harry… you’re my friend, I love you, but you need to go. You didn’t drive did you?” 

“Uber.” 

“Good.” Peter pulled up the application on his phone and got Harry a ride. “Go downstairs. The car’s on its way. “We can talk once you’ve sobered up. Tomorrow.” Peter put a hand in the middle of Harry’s back and urged him toward the door. 

Harry tried one last time and ended up kissing Peter again, pinning him up against the wall with a thigh between his legs. Harry was quick for a drunk guy, but Peter also wasn’t about to move on him like Spidey. That would just screw things up in other ways. “I love you, Peter. Have for years.” _Shit, shit, shit. Tony was right. I can never let him know that._ Harry’s fingers trailed down Peter’s jaw. “Tell me the truth… you called me and let me listen, right?” 

“Harry…” Peter pushed at the other man so he could get out form his grasp. “It was an accident. Now let’s get you moving. Your car is waiting.” Peter pushed Harry into the elevator and hit the door closed button before dashing out. “Good bye, Harry. Call me tomorrow.” Peter was upset, but he wasn’t going to let Harry cope with this alone. Plus, he had to make sure his and Tony’s secret was still safe. They didn’t want a higher level of scrutiny from anyone, let alone someone who really knew him.


	29. Chapter 29

Tony was obliterated by the time Peter called to let him know Harry was gone, quietly confessing to Peter that he’d stayed local. “Go outside,” Peter urged. Tony could hear the younger man getting his keys. “I’m going to come get you.” Peter didn’t sound angry, more exasperated. 

“I can get home by myself,” Tony insisted. 

“I know you can. Humor me?” Peter rubbed his hand over his face. “Tony, keep talking to me, ok?” 

“When did the weasel leave?” 

“Don’t call him that.” Peter might not be a huge fan of Harry’s at the moment but the guy was still his best friend. 

“What happened?” 

“I’ll tell you when I get you back, Tony. Are you outside?” Peter hit the street and started jogging in the direction of the bar.

“Why are you so hot to trot about me going outside?!” Peter heard glass break and hoped it wasn’t Tony. 

“Because I can’t go in, Tony. Remember?” Being underaged sucked sometimes… like when your boyfriend was obliterated in a crappy bar five blocks from your house. Peter was only two blocks away and that might be good considering the cursing he was hearing in the background. 

“Could you shut the hell up,” Peter heard Tony yell. “I’m trying to find out if I’ve been cuckolded.” 

“TONY!” 

“You’re not telling me.”

“I’m here, come outside,” Peter said tightly before hanging up. It took Tony a couple of minutes, but he made his way outside with a beer in his hand. “Wow.” Tony was a mess. His hair was sticking up all over the place and his eyes were rimmed bright red. He looked like he’d at least been slapped in the face if not actually punched at some point. “Come on.” 

“Tell me what happened.” Tony stood there, firmly swaying. 

“Not here,” Peter reminded him. “Just come on.” 

“Did he try something?” 

“Tony, I sent him home. I want you to come with me right now.” Peter reached out and took Tony’s bicep, tugging him in the direction of the corner. He eventually got moving and after that Peter was able to keep him in motion. “I stuck with the story, let him do a lot of assuming, and then sent him home.” 

“I know there’s more,” Tony hissed. “I’m not stupid.” 

“Really,” Peter asked as he yanked Tony into an alley because he was not putting up with this for another six blocks. “You could have fooled me. What do you want me to do, tell you every detail while we’re standing on the street? Tony, I…” Peter came up short when he realized how anxious Tony looked. Despite being wasted, he was worried. “You were right.”  
“I KNEW IT!” Tony was relieved for a moment before he realized what him being right meant. “I’m going to fucking kill him.”

“You know none of this, remember?” Peter took Tony’s hands in his, squeezing. They were frozen and after Peter made Tony get rid of his beer, he pulled the older man close. “He offered to do stuff, told me we … we’d be good together. I told him I wasn’t interested.” 

“Osborns don’t take no for an answer,” Tony warned. “Did he push?”

“Yes, but I sent him packing Tony.” Peter was not about to tell Tony the whole truth while they were a.) in public and b.) Tony was drunk. Tony eyed him a little, swaying on his feet before he just gave Peter a little nod and let himself be drug in the direction of Peter’s apartment. Peter got Tony into the elevator and then into the apartment without any further incident. It was a minor miracle and as Peter was thanking God, Tony started to paw through his fridge. “I can heat up dinner.” 

“What did he do?” Tony pulled stuff out of the refrigerator and stacked it on the counter. It wasn’t until half the fridge was emptied that he saw the screwdriver in Tony’s hand. “It’s making a noise. What did he do?” 

“Tony….”  
“Wow… wow, wow, wow.” Tony stood there with his hands on his hips swaying just a little. “Must be bad if you’re still evading. Peter…” After a few deep breaths, Tony looked at him with sincerity that most people wouldn’t have thought Tony capable of, “if … if something happened and you wanted it…”

“I didn’t,” Peter told Tony, his pulse racing. He watched Tony’s face tighten, every feature clenched. “I told him no, but he … he was persistent.” Peter hadn’t even processed what it meant to him that his best friend pushed so hard and didn’t stop after Peter had said no over and over. 

Tony’s head did that quick jerk to the side that he sometimes did when he was on overload. This was not going to be good. “How… persistent?” Judging the way Tony was biting the inside of his cheek, he must have been tasting blood at this point. 

“He tried to kiss me.”

“Tried.”

“He kissed me,” Peter corrected. Tony’s hands clenched at his hips. “A couple times.” 

“He kissed you. A couple times.” Tony moved closer. “You,” Tony hucked the screwdriver at the wall and Peter shot out a web to grab it, “… have lightning quick reflexes…. b…b…but he kissed you. A couple times.” Now that Tony was saying it, Peter cringed. He was right, but Tony also knew that Peter had to dial it way down around other people so they didn’t catch on to who he really was. Tony had to get that if he’d been too forceful or dodged too fast, that Harry would have noticed. 

“Tony, he was drunk…”

“Best idea yet,” Tony said with a poke to the middle of Peter’s chest. Apparently remembered that Peter kept liquor for him. He headed for the bedroom, food still on the counter. Peter decided that he’d rather let Tony rifle around a minute than leave all the food to get gross out on the counter. Though he did admit that the fridge sounded better, whatever Tony had done. 

Peter found Tony standing out on the fire escape outside his window, a bottle of vodka in his fist. It was late, the city was unwinding. As the lights dimmed, Peter could practically taste the melancholy rolling off his boyfriend. Those few minutes had been enough to let Tony get in his head. Damnit. He knew better than to ask Tony to come in from the cold. Instead he pulled on his own jacket and took the blanket from his bed through the window. “Sometimes you can see the sun come up between those buildings,” Peter told Tony as he wrapped the blanket around his shoulders. Tony was just staring, quiet. “Fridge sounds way better.” 

“Was he any good?” 

“Tony,” Peter sighed, “he was drunk and pinned me against the wall. No, it wasn’t good.” He slid under the blanket with Tony, tucking in at his side. He had to wrap the man’s arm around his waist, but Tony didn’t pull back. That was something. “I don’t feel like that about Harry. He thought that because I’m attracted to men that I’d want him.” Peter didn’t get that. No one thought that way about straight people. _You like one woman? You must like ALL women._ “I don’t. For the record.” 

Peter felt Tony tighten, then his arm drop from around Peter’s waist. “Maybe you should.” Then there was distance and Peter thought he might vomit. 

“Tony…” 

“It makes a hell of a lot more sense than you and I do.” Tony’s voice was quiet, but his words packed a hell of a punch. Tony slid out from under the blanket, distancing himself even more. “He’s a good looking kid.” 

“Shut up.” Peter was mad now, roughly putting the blanket around Tony’s shoulders. If he wanted to be mad, that was fine, but Peter wasn’t going to let him freeze. “Harry is my best friend. He got messed up tonight, then he thought I called him to let him listen in.” 

“Thought you were giving him a show, huh?” Tony took a drink from the bottle, not bothering with a glass. He was staggering, a little too close to the edge, but Peter was confident in his abilities to catch Tony before he actually hurt himself. “He pinned you against a wall.” 

“Tony, are you asking for details because you want to know or because you want ammunition to beat yourself up with later?” Tony raised his bottle in salute to the question, apparently deeming it a fair one but not one he was going to answer. “Isn’t it enough to know that I told him no a few times, pushed him away, then sent him home?” From Tony’s expression it was clear that that was not enough. “Harry said that that he and I made sense… shares your jerky opinion, apparently,” Peter said with a little venom. “I disagreed.” 

“It would be easier with him.”

“Maybe.” Peter sat back on the stairs, watching Tony pick at a frayed spot on his blanket. “But I wouldn’t be happy.” 

“Happy,” Tony said as though it were a foreign term. “Peter… you know… I can’t believe I’m saying this.” Tony took a couple of deep breaths. “I wouldn’t blame you.” Peter was so angry he wanted to physically shake Tony. “Look… this thing …” Tony gestured between them and Peter recognized it for what it was. 

Fear shot through him as he realized Tony was going to attempt to break up with him. “I am starting to get pissed.” Peter knew he needed to be explicit with Tony right now. Being angry with Tony or with anyone, really, wasn’t easy for Peter. “You’re … Tony, just shut up, ok? Just stop talking about what you think is best and what you think would be easier. I want none of that. I am happy with what I have. I _want_ what I have.” Tony shifted closer and Peter gently wrapped his hand around Tony’s wrist. “I want you.” He pulled Tony close and the man didn’t fight. “I love _you_.” Tony leaned in, pressing his forehead to Peter’s chest. Peter just wrapped his arms around the other man, holding onto him as Tony tried to get his mind working right. “I love you, Tony. You know that.” 

“I know that,” Tony echoed. He’d abandoned the bottle in May’s flower pot. Good. “I’m not good for you.” 

“… I disagree.” 

“I’m not right for you,” Tony fought lamely. Peter could feel the irregularity in Tony’s breathing as the man fought tears.

“Again… disagree,” Peter told his boyfriend with soft circles of his palm on Tony’s back. “Anything else?” 

“You could do better.” 

“Than you,” Peter asked as he folded his arms around Tony and let the man slide in close, sitting sideways two steps below Peter, “never.” Peter hung onto Tony until his breathing evened out again. It took awhile, but soon the slow circles Peter was rubbing into the middle of Tony’s back were lulling him. “I’m cold,” Peter told Tony softly. “Can we go inside?” Tony agreed, and from there Tony became pliant. After that all it took was gentle suggestions. “How about some water?” Peter sat Tony at his desk and got a bottle of water and some aspirin. He came back to find that Tony had climbed into his bed and was fast asleep facing the wall. Peter sighed, standing in the doorway looking at his boyfriend laying under his blanket. “Ok… just this once,” Peter said with a sigh. 

Peter tucked Tony in, running his hands over Tony’s back. “C’mere.” Tony’s sleepy hand caught Peter’s wrist and pulled at him until Peter climbed into bed behind Tony, having to lay quite close in the narrow bunk. Peter was emotionally exhausted. He had a lot of stuff to deal with tomorrow but no part of him could actually process that right now. All he could process was Tony, warm against his chest, so Peter pulled him closer and kissed a freckle on Tony’s neck before settling in. Tomorrow would come soon enough.


	30. Chapter 30

When had someone jammed a sweaty sock down his throat? Tony coughed and shuddered, his stomach roiling at the sudden spasm. One eye opened, then the other, slowly. There was too much light, and when had someone turned up the traffic noise to eleven? “Morning.”   
Tony turned his head and immediately regretted it. Peter was quick, though. He had a can under Tony’s head when the vomiting started and stroked his back through the whole nasty event. The gross mess was moved to the fire escape and a bottle of cool water was in Tony’s hand. “Go slow with that.” Tony didn’t. He had half the bottle in a glug. 

“What time is it?” 

“One thirty,” Peter told him. “I just let you sleep.” Peter’s fingers pushed some of Tony’s hair from his forehead. “I didn’t want to rush you into your hangover,” he joked. “I’ve got toast and Tylenol when you’re ready.” 

“Need a suit,” Tony said before laying back down on … what was this, a bunk bed? Jesus Christ. “Need….” Tony looked at Peter through one eye, “I need a shower.”

“We can do that,” Peter agreed with a soft stroke through Tony’s hair. His head was throbbing and the gentle touch helped to soothe it a little. “But I want you to have some toast first.” Peter’s voice was soft, welcome in so many ways right now. Tony didn’t deserve Peter, but he had him. That was a scary responsibility. “Have a little more water. I made coffee, too.” 

“Coffee,” Tony nodded before finishing the water Peter had given him earlier. “Toast, coffee, Tylenol.”

“Good,” Peter leaned in to kiss Tony’s forehead. “Because you smell terrible. Can’t wait to get you in the shower.” 

“Kinky,” Tony said with zero intention behind it. 

“Doubt you could get it up right now if you tried.” Peter was teasing, and Tony pouted a little, forcing himself to get moving slowly. He needed to move, to remember that he had legs. Why did everything hurt so bad? What the hell had he been drinking last night? Peter came back and handed him off the coffee and toast first, then the Tylenol. “Were you having nightmares?”

“Huh?” Tony had half a slice of toast hanging out of his mouth, crumbs littering Peter’s floor as he spoke.

“You were a knot of muscles all night.” Tony looked at Peter, at how young he looked… and how tired. Had Peter stayed up the whole night with him? Tony felt a hollow pit of responsibility open up in his stomach. He’d made Peter tired, and not for anything fun either. “I figured you were having nightmares?”

“It’s a thing,” Tony waved his hand dismissively, not wanting to talk about the wormhole or aliens or that fucking cave in Afghanistan. “Aunt Hottie?”  
“Still in Virginia.” Peter ran his hand down the back of Tony’s neck, rubbing softly, “and I have already talked to Harry and he apologized a dozen times for how he behaved.” Tony was glad for that, but he still didn’t trust the little bastard. “Now… “ Peter took the half empty coffee cup from his hand and set it down, “you need to come get a shower.” Tony knew Peter was right, but he also knew that moving sucked when your head felt ten sizes too big and your stomach had just started a whirlpool of acid burbling up your throat. “Then we’re going to sit down and talk.” Peter was walking him toward the bathroom, not letting go of his hand. 

Peter showed him into a tiny bathroom that was overfull with products and a giant package of Costco toilet paper in the corner. “Burrito night?” 

“Value shopping,” Peter countered with a poke at Tony’s ribs. “Hot and cold are reversed. Use anything on the top shelf. That’s all my stuff,” he told Tony who glanced in to see lots of girly bottles of shampoo on the bottom shelf. He shared a bathroom with his aunt, then? Wow, that had to suck. “I left you one of my towels, too. Um… you want a t-shirt and shorts or something?” 

“….” Tony glanced down at what he was wearing, rumpled and stinking of booze-soaked nightmare sweat. “Yeah.” He needed to accept the help because Peter was right. “You sticking around?” Tony felt like hell and didn’t want to get frisky right now, but he also had a young lover with other prospects. Tony was a lot of things, but stupid was not on the list. 

Peter came in close, kissing Tony’s temple. “Unless you’re about to keel over, I am going to work on our breakfast.” 

“Breakfast,” Tony groaned. 

“You need to have more than just toast. Your stomach is pure acid after a night of heavy drinking and if you don’t get something to settle….” 

Tony reached up and put his hand over Peter’s mouth to quiet him. “Shhhhhh. Toast. I’ll eat toast.” 

“Good. Take your time.” Peter slipped out the bathroom door, leaving Tony to his devices. He actually ended up just standing there for awhile, staring at himself in the crappy mirror as it slowly fogging up from the running shower. What was he doing? Tony had had a few of these moments over the years, what some might call a _come to Jesus_ moment, but an atheist like Tony saw them for what they were. A reckoning. Of course Tony didn’t want Peter with someone like Harry Osborn. He was horrible by virtue of the fact he was related to Norman and had pushed himself on Peter last night. But was _he_ , Tony Stark, the right person for Peter? The kid really could do a lot better, could find someone more appropriate who could benefit Peter more. The same gutted feeling that accompanied thoughts of losing Peter filled Tony’s chest until he forced himself into the shower in an attempt to shock his body back into working correctly. Even under the scalding water, his bastard body wasn’t cooperating. He could feel the panic starting and tried to tamp it down over and over. When you did that, though, it tended to become like gunpowder. It only took the tiniest spark. He needed a drink, a suit, something. He didn’t want to lose Peter, but that was the best thing for the kid. But Tony was selfish. He saw himself for what he was, leveled himself with a glare in the foggy, smeared mirror. 

A quiet knock on the door got Tony’s attention, yanking him from dark thoughts. “Tony… sorry. I just wanted to …. you ok?” 

“Fine,” Tony answered a little too quickly. “Enjoying the tile work,” he tried to tease. “Sort of an early 1970s fresco?” 

“Tony…”

“I’ll be out soon,” Tony told Peter softly. He could almost see Peter on the other side of the door, waiting quietly for Tony to speak, long fingers pressed to the door. Neither spoke for a long time until Tony made himself step back into the shower in hopes of a clearer mind on the other side.


	31. Chapter 31

Peter’s heart pounded in his chest, worry about Tony coupled with lack of sleep and general stress finally adding up. He’d gotten maybe twenty minutes at a crack last night. It wasn’t like Peter hadn’t been around Tony when he had nightmares, but last night was different. Peter had his own demons twisting and Tony’s just added to them. When Tony stepped out of the bathroom, he looked like hell so Peter just took a couple of deep breaths and pointed to the kitchen table. _Get it together, Parker. He needs you._ “Sit. I’ll get you a plate.” 

“Toast,” Tony corrected and Peter frowned deeply fully intending to give him actual food. He came back with a plate that had a couple of pieces of crisp bacon, toast, and some grapes. “… actually…” He nodded. “Not bad.” 

“I’d have thrown some grapefruit on there if I thought you could handle it.” Peter sat down, leaning back in his chair to look at Tony. It was really best just to pull the bandaid off all at once. “So you stuck around and got drunk in my neighborhood last night.”

“I wanted to be close in case you needed help.” 

On one hand it was nice to know that Tony had his back. On the other, Tony had been in a bar five blocks away getting drunk, not waiting to help around the corner. It was a pretty possessive, mistrustful move when Peter really thought about it. “I believe that was one of your motivations.” 

“What other motivations do you think I had,” Tony asked as he poked at a grape with his toast. 

“Checking up on me.” Peter’s brow rose and Tony glanced away. “I knew it.”

“Put yourself in my shoes.”

“I would have trusted you,” Peter pointed out.

“It’s not you I don’t trust.” Tony set down his toast, half eaten. “Listen, I know that kid. I know who he is at his core. Spoiled little rich kid, smart but not _as_ smart as his dad from whom he’s constantly looking for approval but never gets.” 

“You can’t know that about him.”

“I meant myself.” Peter’s eyes bulged at Tony’s confession. “I know him because I am him in a lot of ways. Don’t trust his motivation.” 

“He apologized.” Tony reached out and stroked Peter’s cheek giving him that _you’re a sweet kid_ look. Peter hated that stupid look. “Are you saying I shouldn’t trust you?” 

“Yeah, probably a good policy.” 

“Too late.” Peter threw a grape at Tony’s forehead, amused when he tried to catch it out of the air with his mouth and failed. “So do you full blown hate yourself or is it just a 50/50 thing?” Tony spattered the wall with coffee, coughing hard enough to concern Peter. “I just mean,” he thumped Tony’s back gently, “You really have a crappy opinion of yourself.”   
“Most people would think the opposite,” Tony said when he cleared his windpipe of coffee. 

“Most people don’t know you,” Peter said confidently. “Most people don’t see the good in you because you don’t let them see it. I get to, though.” Peter got up, slipping in behind Tony to run his fingers through the man’s hair. Peter loved Tony’s hair, how thick it was, how good it felt between his fingers. “I think I just spend so much time with you that you get tired or forget the asshole shield.” 

“Cursing,” Tony deadpanned. 

“No response then?” Peter’s fingers moved to Tony’s temples, rubbing soft circles. “You’re not an asshole.” 

“I am,” Tony argued with a raised brow. “Total asshole.”

“Ok… you’re more than an asshole.” Peter was sure Tony would at least agree on that. “You’re brilliant, handsome, kind…” 

“Watch it. My ego’s already enormous.” 

“Yes and no,” Peter reasoned as his hands ran down the back of Tony’s neck to rub away some of that tension he carried. “And we’re going to work on that, ok? I don’t like how you talk about yourself.” 

“You my therapist now?” 

“Any chance of getting you to a real one,” Peter asked knowing the answer full well. 

“Nope.” Tony had finished his toast and Peter watched him eye the bacon. 

“Ok, then for the time being I guess I am. I wear many hats.” Peter kissed Tony’s temple and wrapped his arms around his boyfriend’s shoulders. “Now eat the rest of your food.” 

“Add mother hen to that list of hats.” 

“When it comes to you,” Peter asked as he kissed the nape of Tony’s neck, “anything.”


	32. Chapter 32

“What if we…”

“… but if you did that, you…”

“Peter, you really need to live a little.” Tony’s hands moved deftly against the delicate wiring inside Peter’s suit. “It’s not going to…” Tony got zapped and yanked his hand back, shaking it out. 

“I hate to say I told you so.” 

“No, you don’t.” Tony reached out and flicked the inside of Peter’s forearm, hard. “Hand me the soldering iron.” They worked side by side in the lab, companionable and calm. It was incredible as far as Peter was concerned, especially when it came to Tony lately. He’d been struggling a lot with the idea of Peter and Harry, and jealousy was not a good color on Tony. Peter had had to spend a lot of time stroking his ego and assuring him over and over again that when he and Harry hung out that friendship was all there was. At the same time he dealt with Tony’s jealousy, he was dealing with Harry’s embarrassment and worry over the state of his and Peter’s friendship. Peter was emotionally exhausted and had been slacking on pretty much everything. This was good, though. He and Tony working on the suit in private was awesome because it let them be close and, mostly, quiet. Tony liked music on while he worked, so conversation wasn’t really necessary. It was a relief. 

An alarm went off less than an hour after Tony zapped himself reminding Tony to eat. Peter had programmed it. It was simple, really. There was a giant clock in the corner, something Peter had put together out of scraps over the course of a week. He had it wired into Friday and it went off with a soft chime every hour to remind Tony to have some water, every three hours was a different chime reminding him to have a healthy snack. After 8, he got a warning chime to finish up, and at 12 hours the thing shut the lights off in the lab for a minimum of two hours. Peter had made the program quite complicated and used a couple of overrides he probably shouldn’t have to direct Friday as to how it ought to work. It didn’t take much time once the AI got the gist. The clock wouldn’t stop until Tony took a crowbar to it or Friday turned it off when Tony followed the direction. So far it had been quite successful. “It’s the three,” he told Peter as though the man wouldn’t know the chime. 

“So time to eat something.” Peter went to the bowl of healthy snacks he’d convinced Tony to leave in the corner of the lab. Apparently Pepper used to do the same thing until Tony had left peanut butter under the hood of a car until it molded. Now he was reduced to the most basic things that Dum-E maintained. “Want to come up for air or are we working through our snack?” Tony glanced up with bloodshot eyes from keeping them open… and possibly a bit of a hangover. 

“Let’s eat outside,” Tony suggested. He sat up and his neck cracked loudly. “Damnit.” 

“Hell getting old?”

“Don’t remind me about age when you’re standing there all pretty and twinked out.” Peter looked at himself. _Twinked out?_ Tony read his question and continued, “shirt’s just a little too tight, jeans just a little too low,” Tony reached out and ran his fingers over the waistband of Peter’s jeans, pulling him in. “Not to mention those lips.”

“Now my lips make me a twink?” 

“Shut up,” Tony’s line of logic had clearly run out because he leaned forward to kiss Peter slow and deep, sufficiently distracting him. “Let’s go upstairs. I’m starving.” He stroked Peter’s hip. “I could also eat.” Peter got that dirty wink from Tony before he peeled off talking to Friday about what they were having for dinner. He sent a call from Harry to voicemail as he followed, turning his phone to silent. Aunt May had come to expect Peter to go incommunicado when he was at Stark Tower and Tony had actually had Friday make a direct contact number that would allow the AI to break in if there was an actual emergency. It was kind of perfect and allowed him and Tony to have nice dinners looking out over New York. She’d also come to expect him sleeping there from time to time, also good for the. Since he’d turned 18, she’d eased up a little bit. Peter wasn’t dumb, she’d freak out if she knew what was going on between him and Tony. Still, it was great to have just a touch of freedom with his boyfriend. 

“… it’s next Thursday. If you would rather pluck your eyes out with grapefruit spoons, though…I get it. I’m not a fan either.” Peter sincerely wished he’d heard the beginning of Tony’s sentence. he’d been spacing out, watching the city continue to work as the sun went down. “Peter?” 

“I’m sorry, I got…”

“Distracted, yeah. I was just trying to get you in a tux.” Tony’s brow wagged. 

“A tux.”

“Benefit, next Thursday. You in?” Tony’s look was a mix of forced distance and hope, a particular expression Peter had come accustomed to when Tony was working against his emotions. 

“Yeah, of course. Hopefully my rich boyfriend will buy me a ticket, though.” Peter reached out to touch the back of Tony’s hand. “Where do you even get a tux?”

“Friday?”

“Already in progress, Sir.”   
“See, Friday has your back.” Tony squeezed Peter’s shoulder. He was excited and ran off at the mouth, stopping only to work on his wine. Tony had worked his way through a good chunk of a bottle and didn’t look as though it was touching him. “Did I mention that the benefit is in Rio?” 

“… the hotel in Vegas?” 

“Oh… oh that’s….” Tony just shook his head, squeezing the bridge of his nose. “In Brazil.” 

“You’re asking me to go to Brazil with you?” 

“I’ve got a project out there,” Tony told him. “Benefit’s a cover for my being there,” he said before finishing his glass of wine. Peter couldn’t help but notice that he’d hardly eaten. “Think you can play hookey for a couple of days?” Tony’s brow rose and it took Peter way too long to realize that Tony was inviting him on vacation. “I mean… I know you’ve got a passport.”  
“I do… I mean, I can. I’ll… yes,” Peter sighed and rubbed the heels of his hands to his eyes. “Sorry.” 

“Talk.” Tony’s brow rose, his fork bobbing in the direction of Peter’s hands, “what’s that about?”

“I’m just tired.” Peter leaned back into his chair, looking out onto Manhattan. “It’s going to be nice to get away for a couple of days.” He was feeling old lately, like looking down the barrel of graduation wasn’t hard enough, there was MIT looming and the thought of sleeping anywhere but New York bothered him. He’d done it in Germany, in DC, in a handful of places he’d visited over the years, but New York was home. Period. Tony’s fingers were in his hair and Peter looked up to find him standing next to Peter at the table. “Hmmmm?”

“Come on. I can’t believe you’re making me be the grown up.” Peter went to protest, but Tony took his hands and led him inside. “Next thing you know I’ll be telling you to stand up straight and eat your vegetables.” Peter rolled his eyes, but Tony’s arm was around his waist holding him close. 

“I need a shower,” Peter told Tony. They both smelled like an electrical fire and that wasn’t a great smell to go to sleep in. 

“Yeah. Go start it.” Tony gave his hip a squeeze and peeled off in the direction of the bedroom. Peter took the direction and headed in, happily turning on the hot steam to start things off. Tony found him dozing on his feet in the shower a few minutes later. “You’re too young to be this tired,” Tony teased as his hands ran down Peter’s arms a few times, slicked down by the water droplets. “Here,” he had Peter sit on the stone bench and knelt next to him. Sitting didn’t help the cause of staying awake, but clearly Tony wasn’t trying to keep him awake either. Peter registered the cloth on his skin or Tony’s fingers digging into his scalp as he washed Peter’s hair, but until the moment Tony picked him up, Peter was pretty much in and out of focus. 

“OH!” Peter gasped, eyes waking up fully for the first time in probably half an hour. “Tony.”  
“What, you can carry me but I can’t carry you? Seems unfair.” The distance wasn’t great, but Peter instantly wondered what else he could do to get Tony to hold him like this. He felt protected and he was reminded why he had chosen the difficult path, why he’d picked Tony in the first place. Tony tucked him into bed then crawled in the other side, pulling Peter close and stroking his hair while he talked nonsense until Peter drifted off. Despite it being midday, it was the best sleep he’d gotten in over a month. Easy.


	33. Chapter 33

“You’re 18, Peter. You can do what you want, but Brazil is a long way and it’s not the safest place.” May sat across from Peter and ate her breakfast, taking the idea of him going to South America for a project with Mr. Stark a whole lot more ok than he thought she would. “We’re going to have to get you a passport,” she pointed out. 

“Um… I have one.” May’s eyes searched his face, not understanding. He’d gotten it to go to Germany, but May didn’t know that. “I went and expedited it just in case you said yes.” 

“Oh… well…. Brazil, Peter. You're sure…”

“There’s some really awesome tech there that I’m going to get to play with.” He tried to sound like that was the only thing he wanted to go there for when all he could really think about was being able to have three days with Tony and no one else. “And there’s a fundraiser. I have to wear a tux.” 

“I want pictures. Lots of pictures,” May told him. “And at least one phone call while you’re there.” She reached over to squeeze his hand. “Really, though… I’m excited for you. This is a really unique opportunity. I’m proud of you, Peter. Mr. Stark must really think you’re something.” She patted the back of his hand then went back to her pancakes. “Try the butter pecan syrup. It’s amazing.” They talked a couple more details about the trip, but mostly Peter let May wax poetic about the butter pecan syrup. Peter had found this place on a late night romp and knew immediately that his aunt would love it, but had been looking for the right opportunity to take her. When it came time to settle up, Peter took the bill. “You don’t have to do that, Peter.” 

“I want to.” 

“Peter…” May cocked her head to the side then quietly thanked him. He’d tell her soon about selling his idea to Stark Tech and making a nice chunk of change. One thing at a time, though. 

While she didn’t like the quick turnaround time on leaving, Aunt May hadn’t argued, just kissed him on the cheek and wished him well as Peter took his bags and got into the cab. He got to the Tower to find Tony asleep on the sofa with crumpled up pieces of paper around him. He had that little knot between his brows that always made Peter want to smooth out, but he stood watching a moment. He moved in eventually, kneeling next to Tony, his arm wrapping around the man’s waist. “Hmrmmmm,” Tony shifted a little and Peter tried to soothe him, resting his cheek to Tony’s stomach until the man settled. Peter stayed that way for some time, watching Tony’s face as he slept. 

Peter hadn’t even realized he had fallen asleep when he was woken to fingers stroking through his hair. “Hey,” he looked up to see Tony holding his gaze. “You looked comfy.” 

“I am,” Peter shifted a little, his arm loosening but not letting go of Tony. Mostly because he could. The freedom he experienced in the Tower with Tony made it hard to keep his hands to himself elsewhere. It was a good thing they were usually in the Tower. “When does the plane leave?” 

“…” Tony’s brows crinkled. “Peter… the plane leaves when we’re ready.” Oh right, he reminded himself. Private jet. “Friday is flying.” They’d be alone, Peter thought. That was nice. Still, the thought of holding Tony’s hand or kissing his cheek in public was starting to call. He had no problem with their arrangement, of how they were keeping things quiet, but he was of age now and there was really no need to be as secretive anymore. “You hungry,” Tony asked as his stomach growled. “Friday… grilled cheese, tomato soup, and salad. Chocolate cake,” he asked Peter who smiled. It was his favorite meal. Well… except for the salad. And the chocolate cake at the Tower was incredible. 

They laid there talking about nothing in particular as they waited for lunch. Tony was running his fingers through Peter’s hair, eliciting little shivers when his fingertips ran across the nape of Peter’s neck. Peter realized for a moment that this was just Tony, no booze. There was a languidness to the moment that hung around them even after Dum-E came in with the tray of food. Tony leaned forward after awhile, kissing Peter’s forehead. “Soup’s getting cold.” With one last pass of his fingers through Peter’s hair, Tony headed across the room. There was a plate piled high with grilled cheese and a big covered bowl of soup that let off a cloud of delicious-smelling vapor that drew Peter to his feet. 

“That smells amazing.” Peter stepped in behind Tony, his arm wrapping around Tony’s trim waist. He tucked his chin in on Tony’s shoulder, holding on firmly. “You smell amazing.” They stayed like that for a long moment before Tony started serving soup and Peter slipped away to serve sandwiches. “What kind of cheese?” 

“Um…” Tony looked down at them, brows knitting. “Cheddar, I think? American. That mix you liked,” he tossed that one on Peter’s plate. “Little bit of everything I think.” They sat and started to eat, Peter letting out a deep groan of satisfaction. “Hoping to hear that groan again later tonight,” Tony teased. Peter blushed and kept chewing. “Or on the plane. Ever heard of the Mile High Club, kid?” 

“Oh… oh, we could,” Peter’s eyes widened. “We’re doing that,” he agreed. He looked at Tony, thinking about all the things he’d done, all the experience he had in this arena that Peter simply didn’t. Peter didn’t like to think about Tony’s past lovers, about things they might have done together. And yet here he was. Tony smirked and Peter knew he was up to something when he pulled out his phone and started typing. Peter was pretty sure that’s how he wound up in the cockpit of Tony’s plane while they were cruising over open water with his cock in Tony’s mouth. Peter gripped the ceiling as Tony bobbed, the world in front of Peter on display to him as proudly as he was to it. They might be alone, but it was exhilarating that they could do this. The windows on the world reminded him of when Tony put him against the glass in the Tower and did the thing with his tongue from behind. 

Right now Peter was moaning without restraint as Tony showed him zero mercy. One hand was holding Peter’s hip while the other ran over Peter’s chest. They’d stayed clothed for the most part, just opening and shifting enough for a bare chest and a cock to suck. Tony pulled off, lips swollen. He started to stand, stroking Peter’s cock loosely as he did. Peter was about to protest when he heard the crinkle of a condom wrapper. Tony had it on him and was on his feet, dropping his pants in less than a minute. Peter caught a glimpse of the red base of a plug seated inside the older man and groaned. It made Peter’s cock jump and he pull Tony close, kissing him roughly. Peter liked it when Tony had a plan and Tony clearly had a great plan here. Tony removed the toy and stashed it before turning his back to Peter and bending a bit. The open ocean was a stunning color, the sun slowly setting as Peter lined up and pushed into Tony, resistance minimal with Tony’s prep. “Jesus.” 

“Almost makes you want to believe,” Tony panted as Peter’s hands ran down his chest. Tony was gripping overhead handles meant for pilots pulling themselves out of the cockpit. At least that’s what Peter had thought. They were just right for this and he very nearly lost it at that thought. “God this is a good angle,” Tony gasped when Peter slowly withdrew then pushed in equally slowly. The sound of Tony’s gasps filled the small area and Peter added to that by wrapping his hand around Tony’s cock and giving it a couple slow strokes in time with his thrusts. “I don’t deserve you,” he panted as he turned to catch Peter’s lips in a kiss before he could protest. “Now move.” Peter took the order easily and established a good rhythm for them both. If he looked around Tony’s side, he could watch Tony’s cock bounce with each thrust. Tony had no problem with that, gasping whenever the head would connect with his stomach. Tony was a mass of trembling muscles and Peter took as much of Tony’s weight as he could without actually picking him up. It let Peter run his hands run all over Tony, getting the best sounds out of him. Ever. Tony came in Peter’s hand a few minutes later, the sun nearly set. Peter followed and they made it out to their seats before actually collapsing into a puddle of limbs and sweat. “God damn, kid.” 

“MMmmmmm,” was all Peter had to say on the subject.


	34. Chapter 34

“Welcome,” a tall brown eyed brunette told them. “We’re so glad that you came to Brazil, Mr. Stark.” The woman was their driver and welcome committee. “Your car is this way, gentlemen.” She moved to take Tony’s bag and he resisted. “… it’s my job, sir.” Tony handed it over. She gave him a nod. “This way.” Tony watched for a moment, his eyes drifting down to her shapely ass before he remembered the young man at his side probably watching him watch. 

“Holy crap.” They walked out of the hangar into the warm night air and Tony shifted his gaze to watch Peter’s amazement, his total fixation on everything and anything. God he was beautiful. Tony’s hand grazed the small of Peter’s back as the young man stood there and stared. Peter glanced over and Tony’s heart did a little flutter skip thing that made him consider his prior heart problems for a moment. It felt different, but being acutely aware of that part of himself was always a little jarring. That sometimes happened to a guy when he’d been hooked up to a car battery to keep you alive. 

The ride took a little longer than Tony normally liked, but the view on the place he’d rented was insane even by his standards. Peter sat there, thinking hard enough for Tony to hear the gears grinding. “Penny for your thoughts?”

“Do you even know what a penny is,” Peter teased. The divider was up between them and the driver so Peter didn’t hesitate as he reached out to touch Tony’s hand. “Sorry, my mind was somewhere else. I’m back. Promise.”  
“Care to tell me where it was?” Tony leaned into the young man a little, stealing his water bottle with a wink. “Pretty girls in tiny skirts?”

“… um… no.” Peter rolled his eyes, “that would be you.” 

“Guilty. Though to be an equal opportunity offender… boys, too.” Peter flushed and Tony’s fingers reached out to follow it up his throat. “Tell me if I can help?” 

“Thanks.” The car was slowing and they broke away, reluctantly on both parts. Tony got out first, sunglasses in place, as he looked over what they were renting. Well, borrowing from a friend of sorts. Well, not borrowing so much as won in a poker game five years ago and had never been here. It was three stories, built into the side of the mountain overlooking the water. It reminded him strongly of the house in Malibu. The place also came with a cook and maid, a masseur on call, and pretty much anything else he wanted… and each member of staff had signed non-disclosure agreements so if they happened to see anything Tony felt adequately covered. Besides, the legal concerns about Peter and him had passed if they were caught, now it was just people’s opinions they’d deal with. Tony had dealt with people’s shitty opinions of him all his life. It would be no different now, he was certain.

The driver introduced the staff and they were taken in and given a quick tour before they were left alone with a nice lunch and a full bar and a variety of fluffy drinks already made up for them. “That has whipped cream,” Peter said as he touched the frosted glass holding a Pina colada. 

“Drinking age is 18 here,” Tony pointed out. “Go nuts. Or you can ask them to make you a virgin,” he pointed out. “Ship might have sailed on that one, though.” Peter pinked up quite a bit and Tony’s mind ran back to the fact that he still had a bit of Peter on his inner thigh. 

“I am on vacation,” Peter reasoned before picking up the glass and giving it a sniff. “I doubt the stuff will even effect me.” Peter took a little sip, whipped cream smudging the corner of his lips. “That’s delicious.” Tony quite agreed. His eyes ran hungrily over Peter’s mouth and he watched the young man lick the cream. “Want some?” Now the kid was screwing with him and Tony just wagged a brow. He walked over, offering Tony the straw. Tony rebuffed it in favor of running his tongue around the corner of Peter’s mouth before pulling him in for a kiss. Tony felt bold, untouchable for a moment, as he pressed himself into Peter. 

They kissed for a long while, just enjoying the freedom of the moment, before they settled in and had a pretty damn good lunch that Peter oohed and ached over. When they were settled on the couch and about three drinks later, Peter turned to speak to him with a tiny slur. Apparently alcohol could effect him. Either that or he was on a hell of a sugar high. “I’ve been doing a lot of reading.” 

“Have you,” Tony asked distractedly with his hand running through Peter’s hair. He was reading and half listening as Peter talked about nonsense. That ended when Peter spoke again, turning in Tony’s arms to look up at him. 

“I think I’m ready to bottom for you.” 

Tony’s book snapped shut and he shifted, refocusing completely on Peter. “Say that again.” 

“I’m ready to bottom for you,” Peter said a little more confidently. “I … I want it. I want you.” Long fingers wrapped around Tony’s bicep, making him groan. Tony’s heart pounded out of his chest and all he could do was nod. “I’m nervous.”

“It’ll be ok,” Tony assured him, trying desperately not to show just how much he wanted this, how hard it had been to wait. He’d been so good at waiting, at keeping himself between the lines and Tony was proud of himself. This accomplishment came from the ashes of every other relationship Tony had ever had, the ghosts of long-gone lovers rising up a moment before he shooed them from his mind by kissing Peter’s forehead. “We’ll go as slow as you need.” Peter sat up, moving to rest against Tony’s chest so Tony could wrap his arms around him. “And if you need to stop, we stop.” Tony turned his head and pressed his lips to the crown of Peter’s skull. “I’m going to make this good for you.” 

“Maybe … maybe we … play around a little first?” Tony’s brow rose. “I have a little buzz,” he told Tony. Tony paused at that but Peter continued, “I’m not drunk.”

“You want me to do a field sobriety test just in case?” Tony’s fingers gently stroked Peter’s cheek. “If you’re sure, we can …” But Peter was already kissing him, cutting off Tony’s protests. They were sat outside under the warm late afternoon sun, Peter’s hair glinting golds and reds in the sunlight. Peter pushed him back onto the chaise they’d been laying in, shifting to straddle Tony pretty boldly. Sometimes he thought about that first little shy kiss Peter had given him, so naive and sweet. That boy was still inside, wrapped in layers of the man Peter was becoming. Tony thought of people like trees sometimes, all that tough outer bark was covering rings of life showing who you were and what you’d done. The young man currently yanking Tony’s shirt off was bolder, but still as beautiful and tremendous as he’d been that first moment. “Tony,” Peter asked as he sat up a little, pausing. “You ok?” Peter’s hands framed Tony’s face, thumbs running softly over his cheeks. 

“Huh… yeah,” Tony blinked a few times and registered the fact that he was crying. When had that happened? _Why_ was that happening? “I… “ Tony’s hands ran down Peter’s bare back, pulling him in a little. “Sorry… I really…”

“It’s ok.” Peter kissed Tony’s forehead. “I’ll listen.” 

Peter had long since gotten sick of being rebuffed for asking Tony if he wanted to talk. Now he just let Tony know that he was there and would be an ear. It tended to work far better. “You overwhelm me,” Tony told Peter softly, plainly. “Everything about you is…”

“I… I overwhelm _you_?” Peter sat back against Tony’s thighs, looking down at him with disbelief. It also let Tony run his hands down the young man’s sides, across his lower belly. Tony had made a pastime of outlining Peter’s abs and he couldn’t run behind his schedule. “You’re Tony Stark.”

Tony shrugged that off, instead leaning up to kiss Peter’s shoulder as his hands moved down, palms on the outside of Peter’s hips while his fingers kneaded the younger man’s cheeks through his jeans. “You’re compassionate, brilliant, beautiful,” Tony punctuated each word with a kiss, his lips trailing down to Peter’s pec eventually landing with a graze of teeth across his nipple. “You challenge me,” Tony told Peter. “Not something many people can lay claim to.” Peter unzipped his jeans and pushed them down, giving Tony leave to slide both hands down the back of his jeans, cupping his ass. “And you have a really top notch ass,” Peter laughed as Tony’s hands squeezed again, the tension thinning a bit with a soft, lingering kiss as Tony’s finger traced Peter’s hole. 

“So you love me for my ass,” Peter joked, pushing back onto the finger. 

“I love you because you’re incredible, I’m faithful because you’ve got a great ass,” Tony teased. Then it occurred, all at once. He _was_ faithful to Peter. Since they’d nailed things down, since his moment running away, he _had_ been faithful. It wasn’t a first, that honor belonged to Pepper, but it was certainly top two… and there were only two. Peter had kissed him, laughing it off as though it was just something else Tony said. It was good because Tony didn’t want to think about how many people he’d screwed up or been cruel to because of his own flaws. “You really need to take your pants off,” Tony told him. 

“… we’re outside,” Peter pointed out.

“… let me make sure I have this right,” Tony asked, “dry humping with my fingertip in your ass while we kiss… fine. Bare ass outside… not fine.” Tony cocked his head to the side to mimic Peter’s collie-like quality. 

It got a laugh out of the younger man who just kissed him again then stood up and dropped his pants before turning around and walking into the house. Tony very nearly thought he was being left behind before Peter looked over his shoulder and gave Tony a wink. “You coming?”


End file.
